Not Sure What Should Happen Next In Your Story?

not sure what should happen next in your story?

Embarrass your protagonist. Make them seem weak and vulnerable in some way.

Shoot someone. That always takes the reader by surprise. 

In relation, kidnap someone. Or, rather, make it seem to your protagonist like someone has been kidnapped. 

Have one of your side characters disappear or become unavailable for some reason. This will frustrate your protagonist.

Have someone kiss the wrong girl, boy, or person, especially if you’ve been setting up a romance angle. It’s annoying.

If this story involves parents, have them argue. Push the threat of divorce, even if you know it won’t ever happen. It’ll make your readers nervous.

Have someone frame your protagonist for a crime they didn’t commit. This could range from a dispute to a minor crime to a full-blown felony.

If this is a fantasy story involving magic or witchcraft, create a terrible accident that’s a direct result of their spell-casting. 

Injure your protagonist in some way, or push them into a treacherous scenario where they might not make it out alive. 

Have two side characters who are both close to the protagonist get into a literal fist-fight. This creates tension for the reader, especially if these characters are well-developed, because they won’t know who to root for.

Make your protagonist get lost somewhere (at night in the middle of town, in the woods, in someone else’s house, etc.) 

Involve a murder. It can be as in-depth and as important as you want it to be. 

Introduce a new character that seems to prey on your protagonist’s flaws and bring them out to light.

If it’s in-character, have one of your characters get drunk or take drugs. Show the fallout of that decision through your protagonist. 

Spread a rumor about your protagonist. 

If your protagonist is in high-school, create drama in the school atmosphere. A death of a student, even if your protagonist didn’t know them personally, changes the vibe. 

If your story involves children, have one of them do something dangerous (touch a hot stove, run out into the road, etc.) and show how the protagonist responds to this, even if the child isn’t related to them. 

In a fantasy story, toss out the idea of a rebellion or war between clans or villages (or whatever units you are working with). 

Add a scenario where your protagonist has to make a choice. We all have watched movies where we have screamed don’t go in there! at the top of our lungs at the main character. Make them go in there. 

Have your protagonist find something, even if they don’t understand the importance of it yet. A key, a document, an old stuffed animal, etc. 

Foreshadow later events in some way. (Need help? Ask me!)

Have your protagonist get involved in some sort of verbal altercation with someone else, even if they weren’t the one who started it. 

Let your protagonist get sick. No, but really, this happens in real life all the time and it’s rarely ever talked about in literature, unless it’s at its extremes. It could range from a common cold to pneumonia. Maybe they end up in the hospital because of it. Maybe they are unable to do that one thing (whatever that may be) because of it.

Have someone unexpected knock on your protagonist’s door. 

Introduce a character that takes immediate interest in your protagonist’s past, which might trigger a flashback.

Have your protagonist try to hide something from someone else and fail.

Formulate some sort of argument or dispute between your protagonist and their love interest to push them apart. 

Have your protagonist lose something of great value in their house and show their struggle to find it. This will frustrate the reader just as much as the protagonist.

Create a situation where your protagonist needs to sneak out in the middle of the night for some reason.

Prevent your character from getting home or to an important destination in some way (a car accident, a bad storm, flat tire, running out of gas, etc.)

Sorry for this, reiterating, story or dialogue prompts(whichever you like to do more) about a small country’s revolution with spies and the like. No pressure or anything! Have a nice day!

Now you’re making me want to read your story! Well, if you’re okay with a mix of formats, here goes:

- All the roads to the location of the emergency political meeting are closed off, the air is watched by drones, and a full suit of trained guards patrol the Freedom bridge that spans across the political district. The only way in free from surveillance? The underside of the bridge, and a bone-shattering drop.

- “Council, bad news! Prince Shemavri was at their war meeting!“ From the back of the hall, a uniformed figure adorned with a crown separates itself from the rest of the council members and slips quietly through the door.

- “They deported us to this island for criticizing them. If they decided it would be a good idea to group all the rebels together, they well deserve the consequences.“

- A leader, a thinker, a criticizer; the front figure of the revolution has everything. Yes, she literally has everything, because she’s also the supreme ruler of their nation.

- Three double agents are sent on a mission together to infiltrate a suspected base.None of them knows that the others are spies for the ones they’re spying on, too.

- “Don’t be naïve. People know, they suspect and whisper yet nothing changes. Showing people the truth won’t end this regime. So we show them the lie.“

Hope this was what you had in mind, and you have a nice day too!

- Mod C

Write a story including a set of three things

1) An apple, a sweater, a tube of lipstick that is not what it seems 

2) A special rock, the color black, walking through clouds whilst on a mountain 

3) A scarf, a present wrapped very poorly, a kiss 

4) Fireworks, a broken clock, a toast 

5) Ripped up paper strewn across the floor, a potion, a lost item 

6) A pair of glasses held together by tape, a missing phone, a small, mean, dog 

7) A very old letter, a wolf, a family heirloom 

8) Raindrops, a singed teddybear, a photograph so worn it feels like fabric 

9) Sleeping until midday, a stolen item of jewelry, a drug laced with poison 

10) Lightning strikes, gunshots, roses 

So I have a friend that is very much a Patton to my Virgil. Here are some things inspired by my interactions with her at university.

Virgil: *is sitting alone on a bunk bed trying to sleep*

Patton: *FLOps onto Logan’s bed even though he doesn’t know him* Whats up buddy?

Virgil: *inwardly* do not look at me pls do not interact with me you are too loud and i am not

Patton: *bursts into Virgil’s room* Oh good you’re here I need to find Logan!

Virgil: …idkwhereheis…

Patton: OKAY! see ya!

Patton: *is v short* don’t look at me like that goooosh

Virgil: not my fault you’re so short and loud.

Patton: *stunned*

Patton: *laughs* you are hilarious!

Virgil: ...that wasn’t even funny…

Logan: Patton literally won’t give me ANY SPACE. We need rules. We need to come up with some rules. I wrote some dorm space rules. Are they too ‘mean’?

Virgil: *reads over Logan’s rules* maybe sound more afraid to ask?

Logan: If Patton tries to hug me one more time, I’m gonna-

Virgil: he doesn’t mean it

Logan: *scowls* I know

Keep reading

Write a love story between a very optimistic, happy-go-lucky funeral director and a depressed, negative wedding planner

Dialogue Prompts

1) “You are an arrogant man, and I hope this haunts you forever.” 

2) “Just go, please. Don’t come back, just be selfish for once in your life and save yourself, I am begging you.” 

3) “I can’t see anything.” “Hold on I’ll set something on fire.” 

4) “I thought I knew what I was doing but I- I messed up, okay?” 

5) “Don’t hurt him, please, I’ll do anything.” 

6) “Be careful with that, it is old and very valuable.” “Yeah, this thing? It’s a fake. If you’re the best in your field I don’t want to meet the other people.” 

7) “I love you.” “I’m sorry … I don’t love you like that.” “I know.” 

8) “I didn’t come here to argue.” 

9) “Where are you going?” “To write my last will and testament.” 

10) “For the love of god put that thing down before you get us both killed.” 

11) “Take it and run.” “What?” “Take it and run, before they find out you’re here.” “I just thought I’d have to, you know, fight you for it.” 

12) “I was looking for you. I waited.” 

13) “What were you thinking?” “If I’m honest, I’m not sure I was.” 

14) “Why did you come back?” 

15) “Please, you can’t die! I only just got you back!” 

16) “Look me in the eyes and tell me everything you’ve done since we met was a lie.” “It was all a lie. I’m sorry.” “No, you’re not.” 

17) “I made you breakfast.” “Is it poisoned?” “What kind of question is that?” 

18) “When is she coming home?” “She isn’t.” 

19) “I found it.” “And?” “And I never should have gone looking for it in the first place.” 

20) “One more word out of you and I’m duct taping your mouth shut.”