These prompts for NaNoWriMo will spark your inspiration if you are stuck developing plot points.
Let the setting suggest plots twists.
My stories are set in rural Ohio where cell reception can run from good to nonexistent. That fact can lead to all sorts of trouble for my characters.
Let characters’ personalities suggest plot twists.
Do you have a character who doesn’t bother to filter her comments? Let that habit kick off a plot twist. An introverted character who keeps a secret could serve a similar purpose.
Fight stereotypes
If you have a cheerleader, make her a nice one. How would that change your plot? Turn your main character’s best friend–the quirky one with all the best lines– into an antagonist. Give your teen MC one parent who actually understands him. Fighting stereotypes can freshen your writing and produce great potential plot points.
Have the main character lose something critical or gain something unexpectedly.
I saw the potential for this in my WIP novel, A Shadow on the Snow. My MC collects all the nasty notes an anonymous stalker sends her. When she’s ready to turn them over to the police, the letters are stolen. That theft added so much to the plot.
What other prompts could help twist the plot?
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