How many readers have been bored with the fugitive hiding in a predictable place, the philandering husband being thrown out of the house, or the hero crossing the raging river to rescue the heroine?
Writers can keep short stories and novels interesting and original by not having the character perform the expected action.
Brainstorm Plot Ideas
For a more interesting and more character-driven story, when the protagonist hits an obstacle, try brainstorming ten ways by which he might solve the new problem. Then choose the most unexpected and see what new complications it leads to.
For instance, if the protagonist’s business is in trouble, the owner might try to get a bank loan (and run into problems), go to a loan shark (obvious problems) sell product at a loss (creating more problems), get an investor (loads of possible problems), or sleep with the competitor for favors (creating widely-troublesome problems). Until the climax, each solution leads to more problems.
Examples from Literature
This technique works with all genres. For example:
Lord of the Rings
Adventure stories lend themselves to doing the unexpected, even while always headed for the end goal. Early in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo wants to stop Pippin from telling a crowd at the inn about Bilbo’s disappearance. So Frodo sings and dances on a table, distracting everyone. That choice leads to Frodo falling off, the Ring sliding on his finger, and meeting Strider. But what could Tolkien have considered before choosing that scenario?
- Frodo grabs Pippin and drags him out of the room.
- Frodo changes the subject in a loud voice.
- Frodo cruelly calls Pippin a liar and tells his own story.
- Frodo sloshes a pint of beer over Pippin.
- Frodo hits someone and starts a fight for a distraction.
- Frodo slips the Ring on, clamps a hand over Pippin’s mouth and drags him off.
- Pippen realizes he shouldn’t tell, and clumsily changes his story.
- Pippin tells the story after all, leading to a different set of problems.
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
For a literary example, in Kim Edwards’ The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Norah is stifled, unfulfilled, and drifting from day to day. She takes a job with a travel agent, which begins her growth into independence. What other possibilities might the author have considered?
- Norah works at the school cafeteria to be close to her son.
- Norah joins her sister in protesting the Vietnam war.
- Norah gets drunk and torches her husband’s darkroom.
- Norah aimlessly peruses her husband’s darkroom and discovers the pictures of their daughter.
- Norah takes the travel agency job but her husband makes her quit.
- Norah takes the job but the boss sexually harasses her.
- Norah takes the job and therefore can’t get to the hospital fast enough when her son has an allergic reaction.
No matter whether the book is a mystery, an adventure, a romance, or something else, each possibility would create different complications and possibly an entirely different story. It’s up to the author to decide.
Be Original but Stay True to Character
When brainstorming plot twists, novelists and short story writers should ask themselves:
- What would the character do?
- What could the character do?
- What interesting ramifications could each decision lead to?
To pull the story out of the commonplace, choose the option that leads to fascinating possibilities. With conflict constantly in front of the characters, the story will draw readers along – one of those “can’t put it down” books that is every writer’s goal.
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