Plot Twist Story Prompts: Hidden Abuse

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, Doing the Right Thing, here.

For today's prompt, reveal hidden abuse for a character. The hidden abuse could be abuse that is (or was) inflicted on the character by another person. Or it could be abuse they inflict on others or themselves.

(Dark Secrets and Dastardly Lies: Ramping Up a Killer Plot.)

For instance, a character could seem to be a super outgoing and positive person, but it's revealed that their private home life is much different. Either they're on the receiving or giving end of abuse. Or perhaps, they drink or take some kind of illegal substance (or have some other addiction).

With the hidden abuse plot twist, the character is usually hiding the abuse because of their shame. Whether they're the victim or victimizer, they know it's not right, and they're fearful of how others will react if they learn the truth. And that's how the abuse stays hidden...until you reveal it.

So reveal hidden abuse for a character, 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.