Plot Twist Story Prompts: Prank Pulled

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, Mistaken Identity, here.

For today's prompt, have a character pull a prank. Pranks are a great way to insert comedy into a story. And characters who are jokesters tend to be very lovable and memorable even if they're not the main characters (thinking of the Weasley twins from the Harry Potter series, for instance).

(5 Ways to Increase Conflict in a Story.)

However, pranks are also a great way to add conflict to a story. Not everyone likes being the butt of the joke, so a prank can make one character detest another character. Also, pranks can start small and build into a big lie (because the prankster lets it keep going) that drives a wedge between friends.

Also, a prank can go wrong. For instance, a character performs a prank that involves making a character believe a ghost is present. But then, the fake ghost freaks the character out so much that they jump out a window to escape the spirit (or have a heart attack). What a way to start a murder mystery (without revealing the prank until later, of course).

Whether it leads to humor, murder, or somewhere in between, let your characters pull a prank and see where it takes your story 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.