Twins as a cliché

[Clown_Countess]

LoperDoper

Clown_Countess

I think it's kind of a gray zone in a way, because you never actually read books like that. Or, at least, no book I've ever read. Even so, doesn't it seem kind of childish? That they had an identical twin that you mistook for them (even more so through a moment of dire need) for someone else? It's possible, but at the same time somehow unlikely.

I read the bit you bolded and thought that I could direct you to a book which uses close-likeness siblings as a major plot point. But now I've realised that it is the final climax and I don't want to give it away confused

Actually, the fact alone that there is a book that's used identical/similar appearance siblings as either a major plot point or a climax is good to know; so thank you! I definitely wanted it to be one of the biggest twists in my story, it was just the ongoing question if that was possible. Although I don't need the title of the book (don't want to give it away, right?), thanks for pointing out that it has been done before.

[Zoromaru]

Clown_Countess

Hey WF, another question for you that's probably more obvious than I'm making it out to be:

"Is using twins, most often identical twins, a cliché in terms of writing?"

Think about it -- your MC just lost his/her friend, or their going through all living hell because their loved one just died, whatever. Then, bam, they 'see' them again; thinking it's a hallucination (or a miracle). Nope, Chuck Testa just their identical twin trolling their lives!

I think it's kind of a gray zone in a way, because you never actually read books like that. Or, at least, no book I've ever read. Even so, doesn't it seem kind of childish? That they had an identical twin that you mistook for them (even more so through a moment of dire need) for someone else? It's possible, but at the same time somehow unlikely.

Am I making any sense here? This isn't the first time my mind's attempted to squeeze identical twins into a plot -- but is it acceptable? Do you think that it can be used as a genuine 'plot twist'?

Personally I don't think it would be. As many others have said, if it is done right. The character's loved one would have acted differently because they had an identical twin, so you would have to have those included in. That and how well did the character know their friend if they didn't know they had a twin?

[Marokia]

Well maybe you don't even have to go with twins. They say that everyone has at least one doppelganger in the world (the largest number has become seven, now) so that could be a plot twist.

But no you're not really coping out or anything. Just as long as it's done right.

[littlewonder2]

A doppelganger. That's a good idea...

You'd probably have to do it well. It's good to know that for twins, at least, the probability is 2%. What would it be for doppelgangers, I wonder? And how alike to the character would the doppelganger be? Is it even possible to tell the real life odds for that?

And of course, throwing in a doppelganger is of course no excuse to avoid differentiating similar looking characters, a problem I tend to have in describing appearances.