Plot Twist Story Prompts: Create Distraction

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, Bad Messenger, here.

For today's prompt, create a distraction. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book if your characters want to achieve a goal without being noticed. Or it's a good way for the antagonists in your story to pull one over on your protagonists.

(5 Tips for Avoiding Distractions and Getting More Writing Done.)

For example, your main character may want to get into the principal's office to procure some item that was confiscated off their person that they really need. But the principal's secretary is always guarding the door...until your main character has a friend distract said secretary (opening the door for your protagonist to get in the office undetected).

Or your protagonist answers the front door to talk with and ultimately dismiss a traveling salesperson. But there's a problem; because the salesperson was a distraction for another person to sneak into your office and download the secret files that only two other people know about.

So create a distraction, 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.