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.
For today’s prompt, have a character wake up in an unfamiliar place. This could be the set up for a horror, comedy, or action story…though, of course, this is a plot twist prompt. So it’s important to think about what precedes this unexpected moment.
Was your character knocked out? Did they have too much to drink? Maybe they passed out from exhaustion or thinking they were going to die. And then, suddenly, they’re awake…in unfamiliar surroundings, which means you also need to think about those surroundings, since they will set expectations for the reader.
Does your character wake up in a bed? In a holding cell? The trunk of a car? Are they free to move about? Or are they restrained (or confined) in some way? The answers to these questions will send your story in a new direction.
So have a character wake up in an unfamiliar place, 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.