Plot Twist Story Prompts: Have a Vote

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, Murphy's Law, here.

For today's prompt, let your characters have a vote. Here in Georgia, we're wrapping up the early voting process. And across the United States, we're having an election on Tuesday. So voting is very top of mind in this part of the world. However, this plot twist doesn't have to involve thousands of voting stations, volunteers, and nonstop campaigning.

(2022 November Poem-A-Day Chapbook Challenge.)

Rather, it could involve three or four people who want to do two or more things. Do they leave the house surrounded by zombies or stay put? Do they try to save their friend who was abducted by drug lords or go to the police? Do they go out for dinner or order a pizza? All these actions could be decided by a vote.

The vote plot twist will be more meaningful the higher the stakes. Higher stakes will ramp up the tension and arguments between characters. And, of course, it will increase the chances that the losing side will not accept the results (especially when faced with zombies and drug lords).

So have a vote, and see what happens next.

(And if you haven't yet, be sure to get out and vote.)

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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.