It helps if your story begins with an intriguing hypothetical situation (for example, the premise of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four: A tyrannical political regime has criminalized independent thought as ‘thoughtcrime’). A world wherein employees work nonstop with no vacation—a riot ensues. An ex-marine finds himself back in combat—twenty years later. Louise Gluck Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature for 2020. A poor family crash-lands onto an island that bestows upon them all of their wildest dreams. A thief has one day to get rid of a cursed idol before the love of his life turns to dust. Keep in mind that a plot device does not need to be complicated. A wacky scientist creates a perfect clone of himself; the clone takes over his life until he is forced to consider suicide. The plot is, arguably, the most important element of a story. Cats are really aliens and have been watching us since the beginning of time. 4. Here are some of our favorite story generators on the Internet: Why not give our Book Title Generator and Character Name Generator a whirl? Writing Stats Tracker Track your daily, weekly, and monthly word stats. Some are wild. Dog mom. The "Rags to Riches" Plot 3K+ Save Others are just ludicrous. A love note from her deceased husband forces Wanda to investigate further, especially since Waldo has been dead for thirty years. If you’re a new writer, or a writer who’s struggling to complete a writing project, then studying plot structure can help you gain mastery over your storytelling. (Thank you, Mandy, for helping!). More advanced elements of a story are Point-of-view, Tone and Style. It kicks off Grabbing the wrong briefcase, an elderly man inherits a rare jewel that belongs to the mafia. Get started now. A spoiled but bored housewife orders her mansion to be destroyed and replaced by a theme park. Writing plot twists is much harder than it looks. 3. Today marks the 100th blog post for Curiouser Editing. A quiet store manager has three days to set off a bomb in his town, or his family dies. An asthmatic woman hikes up a mountain to find her dog. A basketball team is kidnapped and thrown into a house of horrors. A mysterious illness created by an introverted young girl affects an entire town. We automatically create a plot, title and a cover for your novel or film. Step 2: Use a plotting process that will shape your story. Subscribe to receive the Pre-Publishing Checklist. It’s what compels your reader to either keep turning pages or set your book aside. All illicit drugs are now legal, but people must pay for them with hard labor. An expert editor, best-selling author, and book marketer, Shayla Raquel works one-on-one with authors and business owners every day. A dirty cop changes his ways after meeting a woman (who secretly is a dirty cop). story about Learn the intricacies of building a narrative arc, and how to attain a good beginning, middle, and end to your story in this blog post. That shape, at its simplest, is as follows: Status quo: This is the situation at the start of the book. Generally, the storyteller will set up expectations and then "twist" those expectations by revealing new information through subsequent plot points. It is literally the sequence of events and, in that sequence, we learn more about the characters, the setting, and the moral of the story. So the simplest way to outline your novel (or any type of story) is to use that universal template by way of scaffolding. Leave off everything but the bare bones of the story. A heroin-addicted teacher inherits a diary. As readers, we’re used to devouring mind-blowing twists and turns, marvelling at the cleverness of the writers who devised them. Think of Plot as the engine of your novel. In her not-so-free time, she acts as organizer for the Yukon Writers’ Society, volunteers at the Oklahoma County Jail, and obsesses over squirrels. Thank you for using Reedsy's Plot Generator, happy writing! An alien species that lands on … | Privacy Policy. A strong plot is centered on one moment—an interruption of a pattern, a turning point, or an action—that raises a dramatic question, which must be answered throughout the … The point is for you to tell the story differently. A good plot is all about organizing ideas in a way that is appealing to the reader. Once you have a story in mind, you can decide how you are going to plot it. The last man in the world goes on an adventure with his one-eyed cat. We’d be delighted if you dropped us the success story at service@reedsy.com! New to the indie author world? Undeniably,good stories share many common structural features. People now live on Mars, and it’s going great—until they aren’t allowed to leave. A superhero gives up his life of valor to become evil. You may be surprised at how many ideas you can come up with just by using a prompt. It is also, and more importantly, the guideline that helps the author make sure he doesn't get lost on all of the ideas and characters that start to come up whilst the book is written. | This website uses affiliate links for copious amounts of coffee. Simply pick between fantasy, romance, sci-fi, mystery, or drama — and click the button below to get started. After housesitting for a week, Lola feels there is more to her neighbors than she once thought, thanks to some strange utterings from their pet parrot. So, for example, if we were dealing with a Lee Child / Jack... Inciting incident: The inciting incident is whatever happens to disturb that status quo. The generated plot twists may not make sense - sometimes mentioning characters that are not in the story. The world split in half—right down the middle—and no one knows why. Speaker. A man on death row holds the key to saving the world. Plotting a novel from scratch? You can also use writing prompts to help you brainstorm a good plot idea. A business executive gives up her millions to become a vagrant and live in the woods. Have fun! Want to write a customised short story really quickly? 1. Here are the best story ideas: Tell the story of a scar, whether a physical scar or emotional one . Some stories have happy endings; others have sad endings. Hundreds of men escape from a prison—but they all travel to the same place: Australia. 3. Over 500,000 authors trust the professionals on Reedsy, come meet them. Mythical creatures aren’t so mythical anymore after a scientist creates them. I want to know what is typical for the type story I’m telling and knowing that, I can create variations that will hold a reader’s interest. Chosen boy has important quest) aren’t fulfilled exactly the way we expect (the goal of the boy’s quest changes with a major plot development, for example) You can use these story ideas and prompts for all types of creative works, whether it be a novel, screen play or other fictional short stories. Like a particular story combo? the lovers don’t end up together in the end) The expectations set up by certain tropes (e.g. A historical character who travels to the present day and causes chaos when they steal back something that originally belonged to them. A plague takes over a small town and turns them into geniuses—with one fatal side effect…. Pretend that you're summarizing the story for a friend who has no interest in reading it but nevertheless wants to know everything about it. ... short story generator / story plot writer / story idea generator / random story generator / story writer / story maker / fiction generator / story creator / story maker. When their lodge is threatened by a snarky trust-fund kid, a group of elderly men retaliate. The Pre-Publishing Checklist is here to save the day! A nun is charged with infidelity and exiled. By inserting your email address, you are confirming to receive the Pre-Publishing Checklist through Shayla Raquel’s email newsletter. A successful stock broker gives money to a poor man on the streets and eventually develops feelings for him. The president banned all national holidays. Publishing Mentor. You can unsubscribe at anytime. These fantasy writing prompts and plot ideas can be used as inspiration to write your next epic tale. Thank you! By continuing, you will also receive Reedsy's weekly writing tips and access to our free webinars. Head to the free resources below to discover the writing world beyond story generators: How to Structure a Novel Before You Write It. Plot is the events that make up a story. Early on, a dead body turns up, a valuable item goes missing, or a puzzle begs to be solved. Write in present tense. What it means is your Theme. Monsters overtake London in a series of strange events and capture the queen for one purpose. What happens is your Plot. The world’s richest man is robbed by a 13-year-old girl, and no one can find her. We’ve got you covered. A man falls in love with a woman at a funeral—her husband’s funeral. An archaeologist finds the remains of a new dinosaur. A successful story answers two questions: 1. Write a story about… A character with an addiction who discovers that they’re someone else’s addiction. Great Happy writing. ], Copyright © 2015–2020 — Shayla Raquel | Visit the contact page. A group of “outsiders” become a clique that eventually excludes others. A pharmacist switches around medication for weeks before anyone notices. She is the author of the Pre-Publishing Checklist, “The Rotting” (in Shivers in the Night), The Suicide Tree, and The 10 Commandments of Author Branding. Story plots are original when: The story belongs to a specific genre (e.g. A computer programmer sees information he isn’t supposed to. A misunderstood old lady is accused of murder. 2. But as writers behind the scenes, it’s difficult to dream up new and innovative ways of subverting readers’ expectations. Write the plot in a straightforward manner. An investigative reporter falls in love with the criminal she’s investigating. All of the plots that you score are yours to use! Books are printed in only gibberish, and the only man in the world who can read gibberish just died/is dying. It’s elusive, it’s shy, it’s frustratingly changeable, and it abandons you completely during a writer’s drought — it’s the perfect story idea. Plot is a literary device that enables you to tell your story. It's Writing Prompts - Plot generators are good for story writing inspiration. And when they find someone intelligent enough, they steal their souls and reincarnate them into alien cats. But don’t let our categories stop you from putting your own spin on a writing prompt: if you find a short story idea tagged as sci-fi, but you think it would make a great romance plot, run with it! What better way to celebrate than with a list? A freak accident at Disney World leaves hundreds dead—one sinister teenager is to blame. Marketer. Someone found the cure for cancer, but the government won’t fund it and wants it kept a secret. The Magic World of Writing Fantastical, Epic Tales Idea #3: A suspended Santa impersonator sees their father punished for a mysterious disappearance. W… A hunter discovers a new kind of precious stone, its value worth more than that of diamonds—but it has a secret toxin. We emailed your story. An 11-year-old girl writes a romance novel and wins a writing contest—but she lied about her age. Tired of her mundane life, Jenny takes her life savings and spends it all on strangers. Many writers, especially prolific writers of genre fiction, use plot formulas, and I think even those who don’t profess to pre-planning, possess an innate sense of how to structure a story so that it’s effective and powerful.. A young cop goes undercover and becomes part of an LA gang. The resolution tells us what happens to the characters after the conflict is resolved. Learn the essential elements of the 3-act story structure with this online course. A wacky scientist creates a perfect clone of himself; the clone takes over his life until he is forced to consider suicide. However, a plot is not a simple sequence of events. “Lock” and save it to nail it down. A girl on the swim team transforms into a part-time mermaid. There are plenty of other plot generators and plot twist generators to provide more bursts of inspiration. And don’t beat yourself up if the first idea that comes to mind is a cliché. A plot device is a storytelling tool or technique that is used to propel a narrative. A robot falls in love with his creator—but his maker tries to destroy him. What happens? In this Reedsy Live video, NYT bestselling author Caroline Leavitt talks about plot structure — and a simple way to go about it. The situation is made difficult by an offer. A deaf man falls in love with a famous singer. In a way, the plot is the trunk from which all the other elements of a story grow. Looking for excitement and maybe just a little bit of trouble, a young woman forms a street gang. Some have been done before. Idea #2: A school teacher stumbles upon a radio-active rabbit. Plot is the sequence of events that makes up your story. She lives in Oklahoma with her dogs, Chanel, Wednesday, and Baker. Try these plot ideas to get your brain a’storming. 2. A blind man hires a chauffer to take him around the world. A dirty cop changes his ways after meeting a woman (who secretly is a dirty cop). A well-written plot device can be deeply satisfying to a reader or audience member. A nerdy teenager is the victim of blackmail. Her award-winning blog teaches new and established authors how to write, publish, and market their books. Structuring plots and planning (KS1 & KS2 resources) Improve children's plotting and planning skills with our story writing planning templates, guided story openings … It's not that Idisagree with the conclusions these approaches reach. Story writing ideas are generally more fully developed than writing prompts. But that’s why we built this story generator: to try and give writers everywhere a bit of a power-up. Imagining the whole thing in your head before you start? The world’s most beautiful woman marries the world’s ugliest man. What does it mean? Latest News. Someone infects all the animals in a zoo with a rabid-like disease and lets them loose. It’s not unusual, for example, to begin with a writing prompt, develop it into a story idea, and then write the actual story. A blind man hires a chauffer to take him around the world. The black market is no more, and people now legally sell off kidneys. Antarctica is now a ridiculously wonderful place to live and has a population of 2.3 million. A lifelong lover of books, she has edited over 400 books and has launched several Amazon best sellers for her clients. War ensues, and six teenagers fight to stop it. So What Is the Plot of a Story? Your main character is living his normal life, then something happens. The following is a simple guide on how to create a somewhat original plot. A deadly virus infiltrates American soil, “kills” others—but is believed to be a hoax created by the government. A killer recreates famous murders from Sherlock Holmes. A toxic perfume is sprayed onto the neck of a prime minister, thereby controlling him like a robot. When you are plotting your story, it is up to you to decide how you organize these events to make the plot that tells your story in the best way. Continuing the series on plot: Plot templates are helpful in telling an author the possible events for different sections of the story.. But I had never thought about the fact that there might only be a couple of basic story plots that most stories follow in some way or another; and how teaching children about these plot patterns could make storytelling easier for … Book blogger. 2. Resolution: End of the Story. Simply pick between fantasy, romance, sci-fi, mystery, or drama — and click the button below to get started. The plot is what happens in a story. A sister and brother go on a mission trip to China. Normally, I resist approaches like this that try to reduce theuniverse of stories down to a handful of types. The only scientist with answers has been kidnapped. To create a plot, you might start with the characters: what is it about them that provides the drama that will create the sequence of events in you… Some bored teenagers speed their time researching the moon landing, only to find an interesting secret. with. Over 500,000 authors trust the Reedsy Book Editor to write and format their manuscript. Speaker. An explorer finds what he believes to be the remains of Amelia Earhart. Let's … Like a particular story … In the future, museums are quite the anomaly, until a certain kind of museum makes headlines with its featured piece: a Bible. As you can guess from the title, The Seven Basic Plots argues that there areseven basic plots that writers have used throughout history, and thatthese have certain similar structural features. Some are realistic. Generate a random plot for your genre. A quadriplegic creates bionic limbs with the help of his mailman. Great plots begin with curiosity and good ideas. Editor. The story shows how he manages to fulfill his potential and become someone of wealth, importance, success and happiness. The Writer's Plot Twist Generator provides ideas for unexpected turns in the course of the narrative. And you do need to use some kind of novel outline before you start writing. Choose a theme from our selection of plot generators. A curious man takes another look at Roswell, only to find overlooked evidence. The basic elements of a story are: Setting, Character, Plot, Conflict, and Theme. Plot Factory is optimized for mobile phones so that you won't have to be stuck on your computer to write. A pregnant woman goes to her appointment to be induced, only to find that the baby has completely disappeared from her bulbous tummy. And if you now feel ready to start building your story now? A politician wins the hearts of millions, only for his secretary to find out he’s in the middle of an underground human trafficking organization. 1 million plot combinations to inspire you. Someone creates a successful drug for obesity. All the loose ends are tied up, unless the author plans to write a sequel and purposely leaves room for further plot developments. Author. Examples of plot ideas; Idea #1: An unpopular warrior has 24 hours to find an antidote to a deadly virus. For tips on how to come up with your own story ideas, scroll to the bottom of the page. The Internet is shut down for an entire year. That inspired me to write this list of prompts — and pieces of plots — for mystery stories. I like to consult these when I’m first thinking of a idea for a novel and when I start a revision. A woman receives her inheritance and loses it all in 24 hours. On the other hand, a clumsy plot device—such as a truly random plot twist—is a sign of bad writing. A cannibal seeks professional help from an ex-cannibal. Please confirm your subscription in your email inbox. At their annual family reunion, the elite Truetts learn they’ve been given truth serum. 1. Give us some keywords to play with or let us prompt some ideas at random. I only provide value to my subscribers—that's my promise. Marketer. The most detestable man and the most kind woman fall in love. How to Structure a Novel Before You Write It, How to Plot a Novel Using the 3-Act Story Structure. How to plot a good story. But what exactly can you do with it now? Your story’s structure will be based on how you decide to plot it. I know that sounds a bit silly. A faithful church member commits a heinous crime. A modern-day Hitler carries out his plan to murder every single person under the age of 22 in the world. Alice meets Willy Wonka, and they go to Wonderland. Choose a style, opening and type of ending, name your character, choose a few adjectives and we write a story for you. Ask yourself why when reading these. Learning about story plots was a bit of a revelation for me. [Disclaimer: By submitting your email address, you are agreeing to receive the Pre-Publishing Checklist and be opted into Shayla Raquel’s email newsletter. Enter your email address and we will email you a copy so you don't lose it! A schizophrenic man gets Alzheimer’s and forgets his voices. The story is started by a fight. What is a Narrative Arc? Bored in her bed all day, a sick child entertains herself by writing stories about people—but the people are real and experience everything she writes. The Rags to Riches plot involves a hero who seems quite commonplace, poor, downtrodden, and miserable but has the potential for greatness. romance) but doesn’t follow all our expectations (e.g. including the order in which they occur and how they relate The basic mystery plot formula is pretty simple. The door to another world is found by a young boy, only to be locked days later by a mysterious thief. A boy pursues his list of wildly ambitious New Year’s resolutions, with hilarious and touching results. Editor. How to Plot a Novel Using the 3-Act Story Structure. Find the perfect editor for your next book. Your checklist is on its way! A superhero gives up his life of valor to become evil. An abused teen escapes her home and finds refuge in India. A goldfish with a wonderful memory and a forgetful elephant team up. But it was all part of her plan. Kristen Kieffer, founder of Well-Storied.com, walks you step-by-step through one of the most popular story structures in this free 10-day course. Generate a random plot for your genre. A plot twist is a story development that readers do not expect in which either something shocking happens or something shocking is revealed. This bad boy has saved scores of authors time, money, and hair-pulling. Going against his family’s wishes, an elderly gentleman goes on a hunt for his lost journal. A retired hit man is summoned for one last job he can’t resist. To be a writer, said Stephen King, “The only... A group of children discover a dead body. Author. You’re human, and familiar ideas are the easiest to think of.