Plot Twist Story Prompts: Bugging Out

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, No Longer There, here.

For today's prompt, introduce bugs to your story. These bugs could be insects or other creepy crawlies. Or they could be viruses. Ants and spiders? Sure, why not? Computer viruses? All bugs are welcome for this plot twist prompt.

(10 Terrific Quotes From Charlotte's Web.)

Whether it's fair or not, many people are bugged by bugs, so they're a good way to introduce strong reactions from characters. Some people freak out at the sight of bees; others squirm when confronted with worms (which I realize is not a bug, but like there's some leeway with all these prompts...and worms slant rhymes with squirm).

And remember, bugs could be as imperceptible to the human senses as a virus, but don't forget those old atomic B-movies with their 50-foot everythings, including spiders, ants, and grasshoppers. In other words, bugs can threaten from within and from without, and that's kind of scary, right? Unless you have a character who loves bugs (speak of a plot twist).

So introduce bugs to your story, 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.

Click to continue.