Here is a list of 100 command prompts for creating a literary denouement, categorized by its primary function.
1. The "New Normal" (Character-Focused)
These prompts focus on showing how the protagonist has changed (or not changed) after the climax.
Show the protagonist performing a mundane, everyday task that they couldn't (or wouldn't) do in Act 1.Write the scene where the protagonist returns to their "ordinary world," but no longer fits in.Show the protagonist using a new skill they learned during the journey, but in a mundane or peaceful context.Illustrate the protagonist's "new normal" a week, a month, or a year after the climax.Show the protagonist visiting the grave of a fallen mentor or ally.Write the scene where the protagonist finally gets a full night's sleep, free from the central conflict.Show the protagonist looking at a scar (physical or emotional) from the climax and reflecting on its cost.Write the "morning after" the climax: what is the *first* thing the hero does?Show the protagonist throwing away or putting to rest a key object that defined their journey (e.g., a weapon, a locket, a map).Illustrate the protagonist finally accepting a truth they fought against for the entire story.Write a quiet conversation between the protagonist and their closest surviving ally.Show the protagonist writing a letter to someone who didn't make it.Demonstrate that the protagonist's "fatal flaw" has been overcome (or, tragically, has become even stronger).Show the protagonist facing a small, new, unrelated problem and handling it with their new-found confidence or skill.Reveal the protagonist's new, simple, and unexpected life (e.g., the warrior becomes a gardener).Show the protagonist listening to a piece of music or news that they now understand in a completely new light.Write the scene where the protagonist forgives their antagonist (or, just as powerfully, forgives *themselves*).Show the protagonist fulfilling a small, forgotten promise they made back in Act 1.Illustrate the protagonist's new relationship with the world: are they now a recluse, a leader, or an anonymous citizen?Show the protagonist finally laughing, genuinely and freely, for the first time.
2. The World's "New Normal" (Setting-Focused)
These prompts focus on the lasting impact of the plot on the society, setting, or world.
Show the city or town being rebuilt after the final battle.Write a newspaper headline or news report that summarizes the "official story" of the events.Show a new law or holiday being created in response to the plot's events.Illustrate the villain's "new normal" (e.g., in prison, in exile, or, if they won, on the throne).Show a monument or memorial being dedicated to those who were lost.Reveal the villain's empty lair, now silent and abandoned.Show a different character (a citizen, a reporter) walking through the setting and noticing the small, permanent changes.Illustrate how the "magic" or "technology" at the heart of the conflict is now being used (or has been outlawed).Reveal the fate of the antagonist's "second-in-command" or surviving forces.Show the "ordinary world" reacting with disbelief, celebration, or ignorance of the "other world" the hero saved.Write a scene where two minor characters from Act 1 discuss the climax, which they only have rumors about.Show the protagonist's family or friends, who were on the sidelines, reacting to the final news.Illustrate the new power structure: who is in charge now that the antagonist is gone?Show the antagonist's family or loved ones reacting to their defeat.Reveal that the protagonist's "victory" has made life *worse* for an unexpected group of people.
3. Tying Up Loose Ends (Plot-Focused)
These prompts focus on answering the reader's final, lingering questions.
Write the "parlor scene" where the detective explains *how* they solved the mystery.Show the "MacGuffin" (the object everyone was chasing) being put in a safe, destroyed, or returned to its rightful place.Resolve the final, unanswered question from the central mystery.Reveal the true contents of the will, the letter, or the "secret file."Show what happens to the surviving "side" characters (the love interest, the rival, the sidekick).Explicitly resolve the love triangle: who did the protagonist choose, or did they choose neither?Reveal the answer to a small, seemingly insignificant mystery from Act 1 (e.g., "So *who* stole the pie?").Show a minor villain (who escaped the climax) getting their comeuppance in an ironic way.Reveal the true identity of a character who was in disguise or had a secret (e.g., the mysterious benefactor).Show the protagonist paying back a debt, either financial or moral.Write the scene where the "secret" at the heart of the plot is finally made public.Reveal what the protagonist *did* with the prize money, the kingdom, or the power they won.Show a character reading a letter that explains the final piece of the puzzle.Resolve the "framing" device: show the narrator finishing their story (e.g., the old woman finishing her tale, the writer typing "The End").Show the protagonist returning a borrowed or stolen item.
4. Thematic & Tonal (The "Message")
These prompts focus on the final feeling or idea you want to leave with the reader.
Write a "Full Circle" ending, where the final scene mirrors or inverts the opening scene.Show a "Pyrrhic Victory": the protagonist won, but the cost was so high it feels like a loss.End with a profoundly quiet and domestic scene after a loud, chaotic climax.End with a bittersweet feeling: the world is saved, but the hero can never go home again.Show the protagonist looking at the horizon, finally at peace and pondering their future.Reinforce the central theme: if the theme was "hope," end on an image of a sunrise or a new seedling.Show the protagonist living with a difficult moral choice they made, confirming it was the "right" or "wrong" thing to do.End with a tone of profound melancholy: the victory is hollow, and the "good old days" are gone forever.Show the protagonist passing their knowledge or "mantle" (e.g., their sword, their book) to the next generation.End with an image that symbolizes the story's central metaphor (e.g., a story about freedom ends with a bird taking flight).Write a dénouement that confirms the protagonist *did not* learn their lesson and is bound to repeat their mistakes.Show that the "victory" was not the point; the *journey* and the relationships forged were the real reward.End with a moment of grace, where a seemingly "unforgivable" character is forgiven.Show the "unlikely hero" (the sidekick, the coward) being celebrated as the *true* hero of the story.End with the hero finally understanding the villain's motive, even if they don't agree with it.
5. Structural & Pacing Dénouements
These prompts use a specific narrative device to deliver the final information.
Use a **Time Skip** (e.g., "19 Years Later...") to show the long-term consequences.Write the dénouement as a **Montage** of "where are they now?" vignettes for 3-5 different characters.Write the dénouement as an **Epistolary** entry (a letter, a final journal entry, or an email).Write the dénouement from the **Point of View of a minor character** or an outside observer.Write the dénouement as a **News Report** or a history book excerpt, formalizing the events.Tell the dénouement from the **antagonist's point of view**.Write the dénouement as a "bookend" that perfectly mirrors the story's opening paragraph or scene.Show the dénouement **without any dialogue**, using only visual actions and setting.Write the dénouement as a **transcript** (a court record, a therapy session, a debriefing).Show the dénouement as a **flashback from the distant future**, where an old protagonist tells the story to their grandchildren.
6. Ambiguous & "Stinger" Dénouements
These prompts are designed to be unsettling, to create a final twist, or to set up a sequel.
End with a **hauntingly ambiguous image** (e.g., the spinning top in *Inception*).Introduce a **new, unforeseen consequence** of the hero's victory (e.g., they created a power vacuum, they released something worse).Reveal that the **true villain is still at large** or was never who the hero thought it was.Show a **"post-credits scene"** where a seemingly defeated villain's eyes snap open.Reveal that the protagonist has **become the new antagonist**.End with a **new, unrelated mystery** that presents itself to the hero.Show that the protagonist's new "power" or "reward" has a **terrifying side-effect**.Reveal that the **narrator has been lying** to the reader the entire time.Show a minor, "defeated" character secretly **gaining a new, dangerous power**.End with the protagonist asking a **new, unanswerable question**.Reveal that the **"big boss" was just a lieutenant**, and the *real* threat has now been alerted.Show that the hero's "noble sacrifice" was **in vain** or didn't work.End with the hero receiving a **mysterious message or phone call**.Reveal that the hero **is now trapped** in the very place they sought to destroy (e.g., the virtual world, the magical realm).Show that the **"MacGuffin" was a fake**, and the real one is still out there.The hero's victory **was part of the villain's plan all along**.End with a single, ominous sound (a knock, a laugh, a footstep).Show that the **source of the problem (the magic, the technology) was not destroyed**, only suppressed.The protagonist **discovers a secret about their own identity** that re-frames the entire story (e.g., they are a clone, related to the villain, etc.).Reveal that the **entire story was a simulation, a dream, or a fiction** written by a character.End with a shot of a **security camera** or **a pair of eyes**, revealing the protagonist is still being watched.The "cured" character shows a **subtle, lingering sign of their "illness"** or "possession."A seemingly **innocent character** (a child, a sidekick) is shown with a "souvenir" from the villain, smiling.The hero's **"dead" partner is shown to be alive** and working for the other side.End with the hero **losing the moral high ground** by enjoying their new, ruthless power.
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