Characters are of course important, but without anything for them to do, their story is probably quite boring. This is where plot comes in. Those characters can be robbing a bank, catching a plane to a business meeting, cheating on their spouses, and so on. When having trouble with plot development, fiction writing prompts are invaluable.
Fiction writing prompts are not only fun for those who love to write, but they also encourage new ideas and build on existing ones. The following exercises focus on plot related issues, and writers are encouraged to use them not only for practice, but to apply them to any plots they may be working on presently.
Creative Writing Prompt 1: Confrontation
With two existing characters (or two new ones—just be sure they are fairly well developed), construct a very tense situation where these two individuals must confront each other face to face. If one character is hot-headed, he might be taunting the other character. Perhaps there is an impatient, temperamental salesman trying to assist a very slow-paced, talkative young woman who can’t seem to get to the point.
The idea in this exercise is to confront a confrontation, so to speak, between two characters. Tension is a breeding ground for plot, and with a little bit of thinking, this exercise can be a lot of fun.
Creative Writing Prompt 2: Fish Out of Water
Put a character into a situation in which she doesn’t at all feel comfortable. If she’s a timid kind of person, make it so she’s forced, by some misunderstanding, to go to a nymphomaniac support group. When she’s there, explore the conflict between her surroundings and her personality. Maybe she’ll make a friend, someone to latch on to, which makes her feel even more uncomfortable about the situation.
Exercise 2 aims to throw a character into a major conflict, and with this kind of conflict, plot should easily follow. If there doesn’t seem to be any plot developing out of this exercise, either do some research on the setting or change the circumstances.
Creative Writing Prompt 3: Disaster Strikes
Have a character experience a major disaster. If nothing comes to mind immediately, open a newspaper and do some research. Maybe his entire town was flooded, many people around him dying because of it. Perhaps one of his family members was murdered. Whatever disaster it is, the commonly accepted stages a character will often go through are disbelief, fear, anger, and acceptance. After disaster strikes, pick one of these stages and explore it.
This exercise is great for having a character reacting inwardly (and perhaps outwardly) to what’s going on around him. Disaster is a nearly universal plot element, so getting used to writing about it is a valuable skill for any fiction writer.
Creative Writing Prompt 4: The Avenger
Batman will come to mind for many upon reading this exercise, but that’s only because it’s such a widely used plot element. Have a character experience, firsthand, a crime. It doesn’t have to be serious; it could be as simple as someone accidentally short-changing a customer. But perhaps a character sees this, overreacts, and vows to avenge the cheated customer by doing something drastic.
Most will choose a crime on a larger scale, such as a murder or even corporate racketeering. This is fine, of course, but bigger crimes require more research, in general, so keep this in mind. How will the character react? Does the character meet the criminal at all? Does she follow the criminal? Does the victim ever play a role? Ask lots of questions.
Creative Writing Prompt 5: The Covetous Competition
Have two characters fight over a certain object. Get specific: what two characters are going to fight, and how? Perhaps it’s a queen and her servant, and maybe they’ll fight by playing chess. Or maybe it’s a wealthy man and a poor man competing over a moment of glory. It’s a lot of fun when the characters are as different from each other as possible, as this lends to the natural tension.
What are they fighting for? Aside from various material objects, they could also struggle for fame, honor, distinction, power, etc. As for the competition, it doesn’t have to be a match of physical prowess, and they don’t necessarily have to even be face to face. It could, for instance, be a match in an online RPG. Just make sure they compete for something clearly established.
Try each and every writing prompt, and put a lot of thought into them. Even if one doesn’t come naturally, don’t be afraid to get absurd with its development. Absurd plots are fun and can lead to great stories. See each scene to its finality, and perhaps something larger will grow out of it. As usual, though, have fun and keep practicing and working those writing muscles.
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