Plot Twist Story Prompts: Wrong Turn

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, Recurring Problem, here.

For today's prompt, it's time to take a wrong turn. More than a few stories actually use the wrong turn twist to set up the rest of the plot. However, there are some wrong turns that can add flavor to your story without overtaking the entire dish.

For instance, a wrong turn is a good way to introduce a character who will play a significant role later in the story. It's also a great way to introduce objects that may play a more significant role. Anyone familiar with the Harry Potter series of novels can probably come up with several "wrong turns" that eventually had "pay off" moments in the stories.

(25 plot twist ideas and prompts for writers.)

While wrong turns are good for planting seeds in your story, they're also great for building tension and suspense. After all, a wrong turn inherently means that your characters are further away from their intended destination. How long does it take for them to realize they took a wrong turn? How do they react once they realize the mistake? These add to the drama, but they also feed character development.

So let your characters go down instead of up, right instead of left, and see where those unintended mistakes take your characters and your story.

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