I know. There are no new stories. Fine. Whatever. Moving on...

I still want something different. Something unexpected. I kind-of hate how much I know about story-lines and writing and all that because it means there are few books or TV shows or movies that truly surprise me anymore.

A book I read recently was really fun and well-crafted, but I walked away from it feeling like only a couple points truly surprised me enough to think "that was different."

Same with a movie I saw this past week. Even though I loved it, a part of me left the theater feeling a bit let down-- I sat there going "Okay, now X needs to happen... and that's it. Okay, time for Y... Yup, hit that nicely. And now for Z! There it is!" And I really did like the movie. I just... wanted more.

Of course, on the other hand... I don't want something too different. There are certain things expected of genres that I read/watch where I expect a specific kind of relationship or framework or ending. There are times when the usual is, IMO, perfectly fine.

But when everything is the usual...? It can be well-executed and nearly flawless, and I can really enjoy it to the point where I talk it up to my friends, but I can't fall in love with it. Parts of it, sure. The whole? Not so much.

And that's really what I want when I'm reading or watching a show/movie*-- I want to fall in love. I want the book to charm me with a twist I wasn't expecting. I want a movie to seduce me into thinking the plot is going one way, then turn it around on me (in a totally believable way, of course). I want a story I can love, not a story I can kinda-sorta-like.

A show I watched last week had a twist I was expecting. They went into it that part of the story and I was all right with it. And then it got turned on it's head, cause gotcha! it wasn't him! I think I laughed, because that's what I want-- even if, at the time, I was fine with the way it was heading, I loved that they changed things up on me. I want something to still be able to surprise me.

I know this is something I have to pay attention to in my own writing. I need to make sure that twists spiral and the turns are unexpected and the dips can make your stomach drop. We all hope our story will be someone's next *love*. And it's hard to do. But totally worth the effort.

*Unless it's Law & Order Original, then I'm only watching it for the plot, so please stop throwing character story-lines at me, kthnxbye.