Plot Twist Story Prompts: Out of Control

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, Unexpected Break, here.

For today's prompt, let things get a little out of control. There are a few ways to come at this one. For instance, a fight could break out in a bar, a peaceful protest could suddenly become violent, or an outdoor animal could find itself trapped indoors (and cause chaos as a result). Of course, there are many other possible scenarios that could create this seemingly "out of control" situation.

(Character Conflicts That Mirror a Larger Societal Conflict.)

A nice thing about the out of control plot twist is that it can create a reprieve for building tension or conflict between characters and force them into a situation in which they have to put the drama to the side and deal with the immediate chaos. Of course, they can (and honestly will) return to their conflict and tension in the future, but it's healthy for them and the reader to have a few diversions along the way.

One more thought: The out of control prompt doesn't have to apply to a situation; it could also apply to a specific character who is starting to act out of control. Maybe the character has a substance abuse problem, is consumed by jealousy, and/or is descending into madness. This scenario can create interesting developments for how it impacts other characters in your story.

So let things get a little out of control 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.