Plot Twist Story Prompts: Dance Time

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, Make a Plan, here.

For today's prompt, have your characters dance. This plot twist story prompt may sound a little silly, but dancing is actually a very good time to throw curveballs, action, and dialogue at your readers (and characters). Plus, it can be a good payoff event in a story (if it's something that's expected).

(The Ultimate Writing Mixtape.)

Actually, let's start there, with the expected dance. Of course, that sort of event brings a lot of dramatic tension as characters try to figure out if they're going to go or not, who they'll go with (if they do plan to go), and then, what they're going to wear (yes, I'm serious about that one). It provides a built-in deadline as the event approaches, and then, what will happen at the actual dance? So much pressure.

But not all dance time is planned, even if the characters are aware that dancing could happen at a moment's notice. For instance, some characters enter a bar...that has live music (or a jukebox)...and a dance floor. One of the characters wants to dance. But why?

The reason could be romantic, sure, but it could also be to discuss plans to scout a location or trade intel. Or, perhaps, to make another character jealous (or to create a distraction). But having a bit of fun is not the worst thing either.

Either way, have your characters dance, 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.