Plot Twist Story Prompts: Antagonist Reappears

Plot twist story prompts aren't meant for the beginning or the end of stories. Rather, they're for forcing big and small turns in the anticipated trajectory of a story. This is to make it more interesting for the readers and writers alike.

Each week, I'll provide a new prompt to help twist your story. Find last week's prompt, Mercy Moment, here.

For today's prompt, have an antagonist reappear. The antagonist could've been left for dead or last seen in prison or abandoned on a date (depending on what type of story you're telling), but now they've reappeared. Watch out!

(Tapping Your Inner Villain.)

As a lifelong fan of comics and soap operas, I almost take this plot twist for granted, because I'm used to seeing the baddies reappear (usually whenever everything feels like it's finally settled and on its way to "happily ever after" territory). Good stories have protagonists who never give up; great stories have antagonists who never give up.

For instance, and I know I've gone to this book before, but Watership Down would be a very good book if it ended after the rabbits escape Efrafa. However, it's a great book, because General Woundwort can't let it drop. He's going to reappear on the Down for a final showdown. The same could be said for Voldemort in the Harry Potter series; he's not an epic villain because he did a bunch of bad stuff in the past, rather it's because he keeps forcing his way back into the picture.

So have an antagonist reappear, and see what happens next.

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Have you hit a wall on your work-in-progress? Maybe you know where you want your characters to end up, but don’t know how to get them there. Or, the story feels a little stale but you still believe in it. Adding a plot twist might be just the solution.

Click to continue.