Plot Twist Story Prompts: Fight or Flight

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, New Hurdle, here.

For today's prompt, your characters need to fight. Some stories begin with a fight scene, some end with a fight scene, but many use fight scenes to twist the plot somewhere in the middle. Or they happen before the actual story begins, but they're discussed or shared during the story.

Of course, fights can include weapons, whether those are knives, fists, folding chairs, fresh produce, or whatever. But not all fights are physical. Remember that fights can include a fight of words. Sometimes these are more damaging than a physical fight, which can sometimes ironically bring characters together during a story.

(5 tips on writing action and fight scenes.)

Fights can be sudden and unexpected, but most fights have been simmering on one or more sides for a while. Like a volcano, many fights are just waiting for the right conditions to erupt, whether that's a flippant comment, one more let down (in a long parade of let downs), or "stealing" someone's seat. The trigger can be epic or seemingly minor with major consequences.

So start a fight and see where your characters are after the dust settles.

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Are you ready to dive in to writing your next fight scene? Join expert instructor Carla Hoch in this video course to learn the three most important points for writers to consider before writing fight scenes, battles, and brawls! Using historical examples and real-world expertise, Carla will guide you through the entire process of determining why, where, and who—essential elements for the writer to understand in order to make the scene work properly.

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