Plot Twist Story Prompts: Opposite Day

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, Shouldn't Do This, here.

For today's prompt, have a character (or characters) do everything opposite of how they would normally do it. If your character usually always says yes to helping others in need, have them start saying no. If your character tends to be critical, have them be constructive.

(Creating Emotional Frustration in Your Characters.)

The motivation behind the change could be self-inflicted. For instance, a character may make a resolution to start running every day, even though they've never run before. Or the motivation could come from an external source, like an authority figure telling the character to change their ways. And don't forget mind control or the possibility that the character changed behaviors because they're not really the character (because they're an impostor).

Regardless of motivation, the opposite day twist impacts the story for the character who has changed their behavior. Is it something they want to do? Is it something they can maintain? What does the changed behavior mean for their character arc? The answers to all these questions are important for your changed character.

But one character changing their behavior is rarely done in a bubble. As a result, the changed behavior is likely to impact other characters as well and may even lead to other characters flipping their behaviors. This can get really interesting if the original character can't maintain their opposite day behavior. (Also, opposite day can last a day, week, month, or become the new norm.)

So have a character do everything opposite and see how it impacts your story.

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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.