Master Literature

Here's my plan to tackle that topic. Let me know if you need to make changes.
Narrative Elements and Literary Techniques Explained
Research Websites
(1) Identify and define the fundamental, universally recognized elements of narrative, including Plot, Character, Setting, Theme, Point of View (Narration), and Conflict.
(2) For the element of *Plot*, research its definition and common structures, such as Freytag's Pyramid (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution). Find a simple example applying this structure and a literary reference demonstrating masterful plot, like the causality and suspense in *Oedipus Rex*.
(3) For the element of *Character*, investigate definitions of protagonist, antagonist, foil, and the concept of a character arc. Research methods of characterization (direct vs. indirect). Provide a simple example of a character arc and reference a complex character from literature, such as Jay Gatsby or Elizabeth Bennet.
(4) For the element of *Setting*, research its components, including physical location, time period, and socio-cultural atmosphere (mood). Explain how setting can function to drive plot or reveal character. Provide a simple example of setting creating mood and reference a work where setting is critical, like the oppressive environment of *1984* or the wilderness in *Heart of Darkness*.
(5) For the element of *Theme*, define it as the central idea or underlying message. Differentiate between a thematic concept (e.g., 'love') and a thematic statement (e.g., 'love is blind'). Provide an example of how theme is expressed implicitly and reference the exploration of a major theme, such as social class in *Great Expectations*.
(6) For the element of *Point of View (POV)*, define the primary narrative perspectives: first-person, third-person limited, and third-person omniscient. Research the concept of the 'unreliable narrator.' Provide an example showing how POV choice alters a story and reference a work known for its unique narrative technique, like *The Sound and the Fury* or *Lolita*.
(7) For the element of *Conflict*, define its main types (internal vs. external) and subcategories (e.g., person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. society). Provide an example of each and reference the central conflict in a major work, such as the internal and external conflicts in *Crime and Punishment*.
(8) Investigate related narrative techniques, such as *Style/Tone* (e.g., Hemingway's minimalism), *Symbolism* (e.g., the green light in *The Great Gatsby*), and *Foreshadowing* (e.g., in *Macbeth*), explaining each with a simple example and a literary reference.
Analyze Results
Create Report
Ready in a few mins

Start research

I've completed your research. Feel free to ask me follow-up questions or request changes.
Narrative Elements and Literary Techniques ExplainedCompletedNov 10, 7:09 PM

outline

Here is an outline of the report, "The Narrative Construct: A Comprehensive Analysis of Storytelling Elements and Their Application in Literary Canon."

Introduction: The Anatomy of Narrative

    A. Defining Narrative: The Core Construct

    B. The Foundational Binary: Story vs. Discourse

        Story (Fabula)

        Discourse (Sjuzhet)

    C. Thesis and Report Structure

I. The Core Argument: Theme as Narrative Engine

    A. Defining Theme: Concept vs. Statement

    B. Application in Great Literature: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

II. The Architecture of Events: Plot and Structure

    A. Defining Plot: Freytag's Pyramid

        Exposition

        Rising Action

        Climax

        Falling Action

        Resolution (Denouement)

    B. Application in Great Literature: Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

III. The Agents of Action: Character and Characterization

    A. Defining Character Roles and Archetypes

    B. Defining Characterization: Revealing Personality

    C. Table 1: The S.T.E.A.L. Method of Indirect Characterization

    D. Defining the Character Arc: Change vs. Stasis

    E. Application in Great Literature (The Dynamic Arc): Pride and Prejudice

    F. Application in Great Literature (The Static/Tragic Arc): The Great Gatsby

IV. The Narrative Catalyst: Conflict

    A. Defining the Types of Conflict

    B. Application in Great Literature: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

V. The Narrative World: Setting, Mood, and Atmosphere

    A. The Components of Setting

    B. Application in Great Literature (Setting as Oppression): 1984 by George Orwell

    C. Application in Great Literature (Setting as Corrupting Force): Heart of Darkness

VI. The Narrative Lens: Point of View and Voice

    A. Defining Narrative Perspectives

    B. Advanced Strategy: The Unreliable Narrator

    C. Advanced Strategy: Stream of Consciousness & Narrative Fragmentation

VII. The Textural Fabric: Style and Literary Devices

    A. Style: The Author's Voice

    B. Literary Device: Symbolism

    C. Literary Device: Foreshadowing

Conclusion: The Holistic Narrative

Here is the single-file SPA infographic on the "Anatomy of a Narrative."

I've designed this as a clean, engaging, and scrollable page, taking your request for a "research" on narrative aspects and turning it into a visual analysis. The design uses a vibrant, high-contrast color palette ("Energetic & Playful") for the charts, set against a professional and clean layout, all built with Tailwind CSS.

All visualizations are rendered on Canvas using Chart.js, and all flowcharts are built with styled HTML, strictly adhering to the "no SVG" and "no Mermaid.js" requirements.
The Anatomy of a Narrative
Nov 10, 7:41 PM

I've updated your "Anatomy of a Narrative" infographic to integrate features powered by the Gemini API.

I've added a "✨ Generate New Example" button to each of the main sections (Plot, Setting, Theme, Point of View, Conflict, Tone, and Style). Clicking one of these buttons calls the Gemini API to fetch a new, unique literary example for that specific concept, which then appears in the example box. This makes your infographic dynamic and provides a much richer learning experience.

The API calls are set up with exponential backoff for resilience, and I've added simple loading indicators for a smooth user experience.

Here are the changes for narration_infographic.html:

list 100 narrative elements as prompts. Format as a checklist.

Here is a checklist of 100 narrative elements, categorized to be used as prompts for analysis or creation.

📝 Plot & Structure

    - [ ] Exposition

    - [ ] Inciting Incident

    - [ ] Rising Action

    - [ ] Climax

    - [ ] Falling Action

    - [ ] Resolution

    - [ ] Dénouement

    - [ ] Linear Narrative

    - [ ] Non-linear Narrative

    - [ ] In Medias Res (In the middle of things)

    - [ ] Flashback

    - [ ] Flash-forward

    - [ ] Foreshadowing

    - [ ] Chekhov's Gun

    - [ ] Plot Twist

    - [ ] Red Herring

    - [ ] Cliffhanger

    - [ ] Subplot

    - [ ] Parallel Plot

    - [ ] Pacing

    - [ ] MacGuffin

    - [ ] Poetic Justice

    - [ ] Deus ex Machina

    - [ ] Quest Narrative

    - [ ] The Hero's Journey

🎭 Character

    - [ ] Protagonist

    - [ ] Antagonist

    - [ ] Foil Character

    - [ ] Deuteragonist (Secondary character)

    - [ ] Mentor / Guide

    - [ ] Archetype (e.g., The Rebel, The Jester)

    - [ ] Stock Character

    - [ ] Dynamic Character (Changes)

    - [ ] Static Character (Stays the same)

    - [ ] Round Character (Complex)

    - [ ] Flat Character (One-dimensional)

    - [ ] Character Arc

    - [ ] Backstory

    - [ ] Motivation (Internal)

    - [ ] Motivation (External)

    - [ ] Fatal Flaw (Hamartia)

    - [ ] Epiphany

    - [ ] Direct Characterization

    - [ ] Indirect Characterization

    - [ ] Internal Monologue

    - [ ] Dialogue

    - [ ] Dialect / Idiolect

🌍 Setting & World

    - [ ] Physical Location

    - [ ] Time Period

    - [ ] Time of Day

    - [ ] Weather

    - [ ] Atmosphere / Mood

    - [ ] Social / Political Climate

    - [ ] Cultural Context

    - [ ] World-building

    - [ ] Symbolism of Setting

    - [ ] Pathetic Fallacy

    - [ ] Micro-setting (A specific room)

    - [ ] Macro-setting (A city or country)

⚔️ Conflict

    - [ ] Central Conflict

    - [ ] Internal Conflict

    - [ ] External Conflict

    - [ ] Character vs. Self

    - [ ] Character vs. Character

    - [ ] Character vs. Society

    - [ ] Character vs. Nature

    - [ ] Character vs. Technology

    - [ ] Character vs. Supernatural/Fate

    - [ ] Stakes (What is at risk?)

    - [ ] Tension

    - [ ] Suspense

🗣️ Point of View & Narration

    - [ ] First-Person POV

    - [ ] Second-Person POV

    - [ ] Third-Person Limited POV

    - [ ] Third-Person Omniscient POV

    - [ ] Third-Person Objective POV

    - [ ] Unreliable Narrator

    - [ ] Narrative Voice

    - [ ] Stream of Consciousness

    - [ ] Epistolary Narrative (Letters/Documents)

    - [ ] Frame Story

💡 Theme, Tone & Style

    - [ ] Theme (Thematic Statement)

    - [ ] Thematic Concept (e.g., "Love," "War")

    - [ ] Moral

    - [ ] Motif (Recurring element)

    - [ ] Symbolism

    - [ ] Allegory

    - [ ] Tone (Author's attitude)

    - [ ] Diction (Word choice)

    - [ ] Syntax (Sentence structure)

    - [ ] Pastiche

    - [ ] Parody

🛠️ Literary Devices & Techniques

    - [ ] Metaphor

    - [ ] Simile

    - [ ] Personification

    - [ ] Imagery (Visual, Auditory, etc.)

    - [ ] Allusion

    - [ ] Juxtaposition

    - [ ] Oxymoron

    - [ ] Paradox

    - [ ] Dramatic Irony

    - [S] Situational Irony

    - [ ] Verbal Irony

    - [ ] Catharsis

list 100 narrative elements as prompts. Provide 3 examples of each. Format as a checklist.

Here is a comprehensive checklist of 100 narrative elements, each with three distinct examples from literature, film, or common storytelling.

🎭 Character

    - [ ] Protagonist: Winston Smith in 1984; Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice; Harry Potter.

    - [ ] Antagonist: Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter; Iago in Othello; Big Brother in 1984.

    - [ ] Foil Character: Dr. Watson to Sherlock Holmes; Draco Malfoy to Harry Potter; Laertes to Hamlet.

    - [ ] Deuteragonist (Secondary Hero): Samwise Gamgee to Frodo; Ron and Hermione to Harry; Dr. Watson to Holmes.

    - [ ] Mentor / Guide: Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings; Dumbledore in Harry Potter; Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.

    - [ ] Archetype: The "Trickster" (Loki); The "Innocent" (Ophelia in Hamlet); The "Rebel" (Han Solo).

    - [ ] Stock Character: The "Damsel in Distress"; The "Mad Scientist" (Dr. Frankenstein); The "Hard-Boiled Detective."

    - [ ] Dynamic Character (Changes): Ebenezer Scrooge; Walter White; Elizabeth Bennet.

    - [ ] Static Character (Stays the same): Atticus Finch; Sherlock Holmes; Miss Maudie in To Kill a Mockingbird.

    - [ ] Round Character (Complex): Hamlet; Scarlett O'Hara; Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment.

    - [ ] Flat Character (One-dimensional): Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet; Crabbe and Goyle in Harry Potter; Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.

    - [ ] Character Arc: Scrooge's journey from misanthropy to generosity; Katniss Everdeen's journey from survivor to revolutionary; Macbeth's fall from hero to tyrant.

    - [ ] Backstory: Snape's memories in the Pensieve (Harry Potter); The story of Tom Riddle's past; The opening sequence of the film Up.

    - [ ] Motivation (Internal): Hamlet's need for existential proof; Raskolnikov's desire to be a "superman"; Macbeth's ambition.

    - [ ] Motivation (External): Katniss's need to protect her sister; Frodo's quest to destroy the Ring; A character needing to win prize money.

    - [ ] Fatal Flaw (Hamartia): Macbeth's ambition; Othello's jealousy; Oedipus's hubris (pride).

    - [ ] Epiphany: Scrooge realizing his errors with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come; Elizabeth Bennet reading Darcy's letter; The narrator's realization in Joyce's "Araby."

    - [ ] Direct Characterization: "Scrooge was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone"; "Mr. Collins was a tall, heavy-looking young man..."; Homer's descriptions ("swift-footed Achilles").

    - [ ] Indirect Characterization: Showing a character's messy room to imply chaos; A character's dialect revealing their origin; Showing Darcy's kindness to his sister.

    - [ ] Internal Monologue: "To be or not to be..." (Hamlet); Molly Bloom's soliloquy in Ulysses; The narration in The Catcher in the Rye.

    - [ ] Dialogue: The witty banter in Much Ado About Nothing; The sparse, subtext-heavy dialogue of Hemingway; The philosophical debates in The Brothers Karamazov.

    - [ ] Dialect / Idiolect: Hagrid's accent in Harry Potter; The dialogue in Trainspotting; Jim's speech in Huckleberry Finn.

📈 Plot & Structure

    - [ ] Exposition: The opening crawl of Star Wars; The first chapter of 1984 describing Oceania; Nick Carraway's introduction in The Great Gatsby.

    - [ ] Inciting Incident: Hagrid tells Harry he's a wizard; Katniss volunteers for Prim; Frodo inherits the One Ring.

    - [ ] Rising Action: The "Tests" (Scylla, Sirens) in The Odyssey; Elizabeth and Darcy's tense encounters; The hunt for Horcruxes in Harry Potter.

    - [ ] Climax: The final duel between Harry and Voldemort; Raskolnikov's confession; The play scene in Hamlet.

    - [ ] Falling Action: Darcy's letter to Elizabeth; The Scouring of the Shire in The Lord of the Rings; Winston's time in the Ministry of Love.

    - [ ] Resolution: The families reconciling in Romeo and Juliet; Elizabeth and Darcy's marriage; The hobbits returning to the Shire.

    - [ ] Dénouement: The "19 years later" epilogue in Harry Potter; Nick Carraway's final thoughts on the green light; The trial's aftermath in To Kill a Mockingbird.

    - [ ] Linear Narrative: The Hunger Games; The Catcher in the Rye; Of Mice and Men.

    - [ ] Non-linear Narrative: Pulp Fiction; Slaughterhouse-Five; The Sound and the Fury.

    - [ ] In Medias Res (In the middle of things): The Odyssey; Oedipus Rex; The Iliad.

    - [ ] Flashback: Wuthering Heights (via Nelly's narration); Citizen Kane (Rosebud investigation); The "Lost" TV series.

    - [ ] Flash-forward: A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come); Slaughterhouse-Five (Billy's glimpses of the future); Chronicle of a Death Foretold.

    - [ ] Foreshadowing: The witches' prophecies in Macbeth; Lennie petting the dead mouse in Of Mice and Men; The bad weather in Frankenstein.

    - [ ] Chekhov's Gun: The pistol introduced in Act I of Hedda Gabler; The loaded rifle in "The Veldt"; The "Heart of the Ocean" necklace in Titanic.

    - [ ] Plot Twist: The identity of Tyler Durden in Fight Club; Darth Vader being Luke's father; The narrator's sanity in The Turn of the Screw.

    - [ ] Red Herring: Snape's behavior in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; Judge Wargrave faking his death in And Then There Were None; The red-headed league in Sherlock Holmes.

    - [ ] Cliffhanger: The end of The Empire Strikes Back; The end of The Giver; The end of Gone Girl (before the final part).

    - [ ] Subplot: The love triangle in King Lear (Edmund/Goneril/Regan); The romance between Sam and Rosie in The Lord of the Rings; The "Golden Compass" device in The Golden Compass.

    - [ ] Parallel Plot: The three separate timelines in Dunkirk; The "past" and "present" plots in The Godfather Part II; The separate journeys of the Fellowship in The Two Towers.

    - [S] Pacing: The breathless, rapid pace of The Da Vinci Code; The slow, methodical pace of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; The accelerating pace of Macbeth.

    - [ ] MacGuffin: The One Ring in The Lord of the Rings; The briefcase in Pulp Fiction; The Maltese Falcon.

    - [ ] Poetic Justice: The villain undone by his own scheme (e.g., Jafar in Aladdin); The evil stepsisters in "Cinderella"; The fate of Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd.

    - [ ] Deus ex Machina: The eagles rescuing Frodo and Sam; The sudden inheritance in The Importance of Being Earnest; The King's army arriving just in time.

    - [ ] Quest Narrative: The Odyssey; The Lord of the Rings; Don Quixote.

    - [ ] The Hero's Journey: Star Wars: A New Hope (Luke's journey); The Matrix (Neo's journey); Harry Potter (Harry's 7-book arc).

⚔️ Conflict

    - [ ] Central Conflict: Harry vs. Voldemort; The Rebellion vs. The Empire; Elizabeth's prejudice vs. Darcy's pride.

    - [ ] Internal Conflict: Hamlet's indecision; Raskolnikov's guilt; Winston Smith's "thoughtcrime."

    - [ ] External Conflict: The duel between Hamlet and Laertes; The hunt for Moby Dick; The physical journey in The Odyssey.

    - [ ] Character vs. Self: Hamlet's "To be or not to be"; The narrator's split personality in Fight Club; Scrooge vs. his own avarice.

    - [ ] Character vs. Character: Harry vs. Voldemort; Holmes vs. Moriarty; Othello vs. Iago.

    - [ ] Character vs. Society: Winston Smith vs. Big Brother (1984); Hester Prynne vs. the Puritan community (The Scarlet Letter); Katniss vs. the Capitol.

    - [ ] Character vs. Nature: Santiago vs. the marlin in The Old Man and the Sea; The crew vs. the whale in Moby-Dick; The characters vs. the island in Lord of the Flies.

    - [ ] Character vs. Technology: The crew vs. HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey; The characters vs. the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park; Humanity vs. Skynet in The Terminator.

    - [ ] Character vs. Supernatural/Fate: Oedipus vs. the prophecy; Macbeth vs. the witches' prophecies; The characters vs. the "monster" in Frankenstein.

    - [ ] Stakes (What is at risk?): The fate of Middle-earth; The life of Harry Potter; The love between Romeo and Juliet.

    - [ ] Tension: The "bomb under the table" in Hitchcock films; The slow approach of footsteps in a horror story; The silence before a duel.

    - [ ] Suspense: The search for the killer in And Then There Were None; Will Frodo destroy the Ring?; The near-captures in The Fugitive.

🌍 Setting & World

    - [ ] Physical Location: The bleak marshes in Great Expectations; The woods in Walden; The Overlook Hotel in The Shining.

    - [ ] Time Period: The Roaring Twenties in The Great Gatsby; The French Revolution in A Tale of Two Cities; The dystopian future of 1984.

    - [ ] Time of Day: The "witching hour" in horror stories; The oppressive midday heat in The Stranger; The hopeful dawn in The Lord of the Rings.

    - [ ] Weather: The storm in King Lear; The fog in The Hound of the Baskervilles; The relentless heat in Mad Max: Fury Road.

    - [ ] Atmosphere / Mood: The sense of dread in Dracula; The nostalgic, melancholic mood of The Catcher in the Rye; The whimsical atmosphere of Alice in Wonderland.

    - [ ] Social / Political Climate: The totalitarianism of 1984; The rigid class structure of Pride and Prejudice; The wartime paranoia of Catch-22.

    - [ ] Cultural Context: The Puritan society in The Scarlet Letter; The post-war disillusionment of The Sun Also Rises; The constraints on women in A Doll's House.

    - [ ] World-building: The magic system and history of Middle-earth (LOTR); The Ministries and rules of Harry Potter; The districts and rules of The Hunger Games.

    - [ ] Symbolism of Setting: The green light in The Great Gatsby; The wilderness vs. civilization in Heart of Darkness; The moors in Wuthering Heights.

    - [ ] Pathetic Fallacy: The rain at a funeral scene; The sun shining when characters fall in love; The "cruel spring" in The Waste Land.

🗣️ Point of View & Narration

    - [ ] First-Person POV: The Catcher in the Rye (Holden Caulfield); Moby-Dick ("Call me Ishmael"); The Great Gatsby (Nick Carraway).

    - [ ] Second-Person POV: Bright Lights, Big City; "Choose Your Own Adventure" books; The short story "How to Talk to a Hunter."

    - [ ] Third-Person Limited POV: The Harry Potter series (mostly follows Harry); A Song of Ice and Fire (chapters tied to one character); The Old Man and the Sea.

    - [ ] Third-Person Omniscient POV: Middlemarch (knows all characters' thoughts); War and Peace (knows all thoughts); The Scarlet Letter.

    - [ ] Third-Person Objective POV: "Hills Like White Elephants" (reports only actions and dialogue); The Lottery (no access to inner thoughts); Dashiell Hammett's detective fiction.

    - [ ] Unreliable Narrator: The narrator of Fight Club; Humbert Humbert in Lolita; The Governess in The Turn of the Screw.

    - [ ] Narrative Voice: Holden Caulfield's cynical, teenage voice; The formal, archaic voice of Dracula; The folksy, oral voice of Huckleberry Finn.

    - [ ] Stream of Consciousness: Molly Bloom's soliloquy in Ulysses; The narration of Mrs. Dalloway; Benjy's section in The Sound and the Fury.

    - [ ] Epistolary Narrative: Dracula (told through letters and journals); The Color Purple; Frankenstein (framed by letters).

    - [ ] Frame Story: Frankenstein (Walton's letters framing Frankenstein's story); One Thousand and One Nights (Scheherazade); Wuthering Heights (Lockwood framing Nelly's story).

💡 Theme, Tone & Style

    - [ ] Theme (Thematic Statement): "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" (1984); "Class and wealth do not equal happiness" (The Great Gatsby); "The loss of innocence is inevitable" (The Catcher in the Rye).

    - [ ] Thematic Concept: Love (Romeo and Juliet); War (All Quiet on the Western Front); Justice (To Kill a Mockingbird).

    - [ ] Moral: "Slow and steady wins the race" (The Tortoise and the Hare); "Don't judge a book by its cover"; "Be careful what you wish for."

    - [ ] Motif (Recurring element): The "green light" in The Great Gatsby; The "blood" and "water" in Macbeth; The "whiteness" of the whale in Moby-Dick.

    - [ ] Symbolism: The scarlet "A" in The Scarlet Letter; The conch shell in Lord of the Flies; The mockingbird in To Kill a Mockingbird.

    - [ ] Allegory: Animal Farm (for the Russian Revolution); The Pilgrim's Progress (for the Christian journey); The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (for the story of Christ).

    - [ ] Tone (Author's attitude): The satirical, witty tone of Pride and Prejudice; The somber, tragic tone of Oedipus Rex; The cynical, dark tone of 1984.

    - [ ] Diction (Word choice): Hemingway's simple, concrete words; Lovecraft's ornate, "eldritch" adjectives; The academic, complex language of Ulysses.

    - [ ] Syntax (Sentence structure): Hemingway's short, declarative sentences; Faulkner's long, winding sentences; The fragmented syntax in The Waste Land.

    - [ ] Pastiche: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (of Hamlet); The "Spaghetti Western" (of the American Western); The Wind in the Willows (pastiche of different genres).

    - [ ] Parody: Don Quixote (of chivalric romances); Gulliver's Travels (of travelogues); Spaceballs (of Star Wars).

🛠️ Literary Devices & Techniques

    - [ ] Metaphor: "All the world's a stage" (As You Like It); "The road was a ribbon of moonlight"; "He is a shining star."

    - [ ] Simile: "O my Luve is like a red, red rose"; "As solitary as an oyster" (A Christmas Carol); "He fought like a lion."

    - [ ] Personification: "The wind whispered through the trees"; "Death, be not proud"; "The city never sleeps."

    - [ ] Imagery (Sensory Detail): The description of the Valley of Ashes in The Great Gatsby; The sounds of the battlefield in The Red Badge of Courage; The taste of the madeleine in Swann's Way.

    - [ ] Allusion: The title The Sound and the Fury (to Macbeth); The title Brave New World (to The Tempest); The many biblical allusions in Moby-Dick.

    - [ ] Juxtaposition: The descriptions of the two cities in A Tale of Two Cities; The pairing of "light" and "dark" imagery in Romeo and Juliet; The "good" vs. "evil" twin trope.

    - [ ] Oxymoron: "O brawling love, O loving hate" (Romeo and Juliet); "Parting is such sweet sorrow"; "Living dead."

    - [ ] Paradox: "I must be cruel, only to be kind" (Hamlet); "War is peace" (1984); "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

    - [ ] Dramatic Irony: The audience knows Juliet is only asleep, but Romeo thinks she is dead; The audience knows Oedipus married his mother, but he doesn't; The audience knows the killer's identity in Columbo.

    - [ ] Verbal Irony (Sarcasm): "A little more than kin, and less than kind" (Hamlet); Mark Antony calling Brutus "an honourable man" in Julius Caesar; Mr. Bennet's dry remarks in Pride and Prejudice.

    - [ ] Situational Irony: The fire station burning down; The marriage counselor getting a divorce; The ending of "The Gift of the Magi."

    - [ ] Catharsis: The feeling of pity and fear at the end of Oedipus Rex; The emotional release at the end of King Lear; The audience's relief when the monster is defeated.

    - [ ] Anaphora (Repetition): "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." (A Tale of Two Cities); "I have a dream..." (MLK's speech); "Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition!" (King John).

format each as a prompt

Here is that list reformatted as 100 analytical prompts, with examples included to guide your analysis or creative work.

🎭 Character Prompts

    Analyze the Protagonist: (e.g., Winston Smith in 1984; Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice; Harry Potter)

    Analyze the Antagonist: (e.g., Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter; Iago in Othello; Big Brother in 1984)

    Analyze a Foil Character: (e.g., Dr. Watson to Sherlock Holmes; Draco Malfoy to Harry Potter; Laertes to Hamlet)

    Analyze the Deuteragonist: (e.g., Samwise Gamgee to Frodo; Ron and Hermione to Harry; Dr. Watson to Holmes)

    Analyze the Mentor/Guide: (e.g., Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings; Dumbledore in Harry Potter; Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird)

    Identify and Analyze an Archetype: (e.g., The "Trickster" like Loki; The "Innocent" like Ophelia in Hamlet; The "Rebel" like Han Solo)

    Identify and Analyze a Stock Character: (e.g., The "Damsel in Distress"; The "Mad Scientist" like Dr. Frankenstein; The "Hard-Boiled Detective")

    Trace a Dynamic Character's change: (e.g., Ebenezer Scrooge; Walter White; Elizabeth Bennet)

    Analyze a Static Character's function: (e.g., Atticus Finch; Sherlock Holmes; Miss Maudie in To Kill a Mockingbird)

    Analyze a Round Character's complexity: (e.g., Hamlet; Scarlett O'Hara; Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment)

    Analyze a Flat Character's purpose: (e.g., Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet; Crabbe and Goyle in Harry Potter; Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice)

    Define a Character's Arc: (e.g., Scrooge's journey from misanthropy to generosity; Katniss Everdeen's journey from survivor to revolutionary; Macbeth's fall from hero to tyrant)

    Analyze the impact of a Backstory: (e.g., Snape's memories in the Pensieve; The story of Tom Riddle's past; The opening sequence of the film Up)

    Identify a character's Internal Motivation: (e.g., Hamlet's need for existential proof; Raskolnikov's desire to be a "superman"; Macbeth's ambition)

    Identify a character's External Motivation: (e.g., Katniss's need to protect her sister; Frodo's quest to destroy the Ring; A character needing to win prize money)

    Identify a character's Fatal Flaw (Hamartia): (e.g., Macbeth's ambition; Othello's jealousy; Oedipus's hubris)

    Pinpoint a character's Epiphany: (e.g., Scrooge realizing his errors with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come; Elizabeth Bennet reading Darcy's letter; The narrator's realization in Joyce's "Araby")

    Find examples of Direct Characterization: (e.g., "Scrooge was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone"; "Mr. Collins was a tall, heavy-looking young man...")

    Find examples of Indirect Characterization: (e.g., Showing a character's messy room to imply chaos; A character's dialect revealing their origin; Showing Darcy's kindness to his sister)

    Analyze the use of Internal Monologue: (e.g., "To be or not to be..." in Hamlet; Molly Bloom's soliloquy in Ulysses; The narration in The Catcher in the Rye)

    Analyze the function of Dialogue: (e.g., The witty banter in Much Ado About Nothing; The sparse subtext of Hemingway; The philosophical debates in The Brothers Karamazov)

    Analyze the use of Dialect or Idiolect: (e.g., Hagrid's accent in Harry Potter; The dialogue in Trainspotting; Jim's speech in Huckleberry Finn)

📈 Plot & Structure Prompts

    Identify the Exposition: (e.g., The opening crawl of Star Wars; The first chapter of 1984; Nick Carraway's introduction in The Great Gatsby)

    Identify the Inciting Incident: (e.g., Hagrid tells Harry he's a wizard; Katniss volunteers for Prim; Frodo inherits the One Ring)

    Map the Rising Action: (e.g., The "Tests" in The Odyssey; Elizabeth and Darcy's tense encounters; The hunt for Horcruxes in Harry Potter)

    Pinpoint the Climax: (e.g., The final duel between Harry and Voldemort; Raskolnikov's confession; The play scene in Hamlet)

    Trace the Falling Action: (e.g., Darcy's letter to Elizabeth; The Scouring of the Shire in The Lord of the Rings; Winston's time in the Ministry of Love)

    Define the Resolution: (e.g., The families reconciling in Romeo and Juliet; Elizabeth and Darcy's marriage; The hobbits returning to the Shire)

    Analyze the Dénouement: (e.g., The "19 years later" epilogue in Harry Potter; Nick Carraway's final thoughts on the green light; The trial's aftermath in To Kill a Mockingbird)

    Analyze the use of a Linear Narrative: (e.g., The Hunger Games; The Catcher in the Rye; Of Mice and Men)

    Analyze the use of a Non-linear Narrative: (e.g., Pulp Fiction; Slaughterhouse-Five; The Sound and the Fury)

    Analyze the effect of In Medias Res: (e.g., The Odyssey; Oedipus Rex; The Iliad)

    Analyze the function of a Flashback: (e.g., Wuthering Heights via Nelly's narration; Citizen Kane's investigation; The "Lost" TV series)

    Analyze the function of a Flash-forward: (e.g., A Christmas Carol's Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come; Slaughterhouse-Five; Chronicle of a Death Foretold)

    Identify examples of Foreshadowing: (e.g., The witches' prophecies in Macbeth; Lennie petting the dead mouse in Of Mice and Men; The bad weather in Frankenstein)

    Identify a "Chekhov's Gun": (e.g., The pistol in Act I of Hedda Gabler; The loaded rifle in "The Veldt"; The "Heart of the Ocean" necklace in Titanic)

    Analyze a Plot Twist: (e.g., The identity of Tyler Durden in Fight Club; Darth Vader being Luke's father; The narrator's sanity in The Turn of the Screw)

    Identify a Red Herring: (e.g., Snape's behavior in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; Judge Wargrave faking his death in And Then There Were None)

    Analyze the use of a Cliffhanger: (e.g., The end of The Empire Strikes Back; The end of The Giver; The end of Gone Girl)

    Analyze a Subplot: (e.g., The love triangle in King Lear; The romance between Sam and Rosie in The Lord of the Rings; The "Golden Compass" device)

    Analyze a Parallel Plot: (e.g., The three timelines in Dunkirk; The "past" and "present" plots in The Godfather Part II; The separate journeys in The Two Towers)

    Analyze the story's Pacing: (e.g., The rapid pace of The Da Vinci Code; The slow, methodical pace of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; The accelerating pace of Macbeth)

    Identify the MacGuffin: (e.g., The One Ring in The Lord of the Rings; The briefcase in Pulp Fiction; The Maltese Falcon)

    Identify an instance of Poetic Justice: (e.g., The villain undone by his own scheme like Jafar in Aladdin; The fate of the evil stepsisters in "Cinderella")

    Identify a Deus ex Machina: (e.g., The eagles rescuing Frodo and Sam; The sudden inheritance in The Importance of Being Earnest; The King's army arriving just in time)

    Analyze a Quest Narrative: (e.g., The Odyssey; The Lord of the Rings; Don Quixote)

    Trace the The Hero's Journey: (e.g., Star Wars: A New Hope for Luke; The Matrix for Neo; Harry Potter's 7-book arc)

⚔️ Conflict Prompts

    Define the Central Conflict: (e.g., Harry vs. Voldemort; The Rebellion vs. The Empire; Elizabeth's prejudice vs. Darcy's pride)

    Analyze the Internal Conflict: (e.g., Hamlet's indecision; Raskolnikov's guilt; Winston Smith's "thoughtcrime")

    Analyze the External Conflict: (e.g., The duel between Hamlet and Laertes; The hunt for Moby Dick; The physical journey in The Odyssey)

    Analyze the "Character vs. Self" conflict: (e.g., Hamlet's "To be or not to be"; The narrator's split personality in Fight Club; Scrooge vs. his own avarice)

    Analyze the "Character vs. Character" conflict: (e.g., Harry vs. Voldemort; Holmes vs. Moriarty; Othello vs. Iago)

    Analyze the "Character vs. Society" conflict: (e.g., Winston Smith vs. Big Brother in 1984; Hester Prynne vs. the Puritan community; Katniss vs. the Capitol)

    Analyze the "Character vs. Nature" conflict: (e.g., Santiago vs. the marlin in The Old Man and the Sea; The crew vs. the whale in Moby-Dick; The boys vs. the island in Lord of the Flies)

    Analyze the "Character vs. Technology" conflict: (e.g., The crew vs. HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey; The characters vs. the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park)

    Analyze the "Character vs. Supernatural/Fate" conflict: (e.g., Oedipus vs. the prophecy; Macbeth vs. the witches' prophecies; The characters vs. the "monster" in Frankenstein)

    Define the Stakes: (e.g., The fate of Middle-earth; The life of Harry Potter; The love between Romeo and Juliet)

    Analyze how Tension is built: (e.g., The "bomb under the table" in Hitchcock films; The slow approach of footsteps in a horror story; The silence before a duel)

    Analyze how Suspense is created: (e.g., The search for the killer in And Then There Were None; Will Frodo destroy the Ring?; The near-captures in The Fugitive)

🌍 Setting & World Prompts

    Analyze the Physical Location: (e.g., The bleak marshes in Great Expectations; The woods in Walden; The Overlook Hotel in The Shining)

    Analyze the Time Period: (e.g., The Roaring Twenties in The Great Gatsby; The French Revolution in A Tale of Two Cities; The dystopian future of 1984)

    Analyze the use of Time of Day: (e.g., The "witching hour" in horror stories; The oppressive midday heat in The Stranger; The hopeful dawn in The Lord of the Rings)

    Analyze the role of Weather: (e.g., The storm in King Lear; The fog in The Hound of the Baskervilles; The relentless heat in Mad Max: Fury Road)

    Define the Atmosphere or Mood: (e.g., The sense of dread in Dracula; The nostalgic, melancholic mood of The Catcher in the Rye; The whimsical atmosphere of Alice in Wonderland)

    Analyze the Social/Political Climate: (e.g., The totalitarianism of 1984; The rigid class structure of Pride and Prejudice; The wartime paranoia of Catch-22)

    Analyze the Cultural Context: (e.g., The Puritan society in The Scarlet Letter; The post-war disillusionment of The Sun Also Rises; The constraints on women in A Doll's House)

    Analyze the World-building: (e.g., The magic system of Middle-earth; The Ministries and rules of Harry Potter; The districts of The Hunger Games)

    Analyze the Symbolism of Setting: (e.g., The green light in The Great Gatsby; The wilderness vs. civilization in Heart of Darkness; The moors in Wuthering Heights)

    Identify the use of Pathetic Fallacy: (e.g., The rain at a funeral scene; The sun shining when characters fall in love; The "cruel spring" in The Waste Land)

🗣️ Point of View & Narration Prompts

    Analyze the use of First-Person POV: (e.g., The Catcher in the Rye; "Call me Ishmael" in Moby-Dick; The Great Gatsby)

    Analyze the use of Second-Person POV: (e.g., Bright Lights, Big City; "Choose Your Own Adventure" books; The short story "How to Talk to a Hunter")

    Analyze the use of Third-Person Limited POV: (e.g., The Harry Potter series; A Song of Ice and Fire chapters; The Old Man and the Sea)

    Analyze the use of Third-Person Omniscient POV: (e.g., Middlemarch; War and Peace; The Scarlet Letter)

    Analyze the use of Third-Person Objective POV: (e.g., "Hills Like White Elephants"; The Lottery; Dashiell Hammett's detective fiction)

    Analyze the Unreliable Narrator: (e.g., The narrator of Fight Club; Humbert Humbert in Lolita; The Governess in The Turn of the Screw)

    Define the Narrative Voice: (e.g., Holden Caulfield's cynical, teenage voice; The formal, archaic voice of Dracula; The folksy, oral voice of Huckleberry Finn)

    Analyze the use of Stream of Consciousness: (e.g., Molly Bloom's soliloquy in Ulysses; The narration of Mrs. Dalloway; Benjy's section in The Sound and the Fury)

    Analyze an Epistolary Narrative: (e.g., Dracula via letters and journals; The Color Purple; Frankenstein)

    Analyze a Frame Story: (e.g., Frankenstein's letters framing the story; One Thousand and One Nights; Wuthering Heights's narration)

💡 Theme, Tone & Style Prompts

    Define the Theme (Thematic Statement): (e.g., "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" in 1984; "Class and wealth do not equal happiness" in The Great Gatsby)

    Identify the Thematic Concept: (e.g., "Love" in Romeo and Juliet; "War" in All Quiet on the Western Front; "Justice" in To Kill a Mockingbird)

    Identify the story's Moral: (e.g., "Slow and steady wins the race"; "Don't judge a book by its cover"; "Be careful what you wish for")

    Trace a Motif: (e.g., The "green light" in The Great Gatsby; "Blood" and "water" in Macbeth; The "whiteness" of the whale in Moby-Dick)

    Analyze the use of Symbolism: (e.g., The scarlet "A" in The Scarlet Letter; The conch shell in Lord of the Flies; The mockingbird in To Kill a Mockingbird)

    Analyze the use of Allegory: (e.g., Animal Farm for the Russian Revolution; The Pilgrim's Progress for the Christian journey; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)

    Define the Tone: (e.g., The satirical, witty tone of Pride and Prejudice; The somber, tragic tone of Oedipus Rex; The cynical, dark tone of 1984)

    Analyze the author's Diction (Word choice): (e.g., Hemingway's simple, concrete words; Lovecraft's ornate, "eldritch" adjectives; The academic language of Ulysses)

    Analyze the author's Syntax (Sentence structure): (e.g., Hemingway's short, declarative sentences; Faulkner's long, winding sentences; The fragmented syntax in The Waste Land)

    Identify a Pastiche: (e.g., Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead of Hamlet; The "Spaghetti Western" of the American Western)

    Identify a Parody: (e.g., Don Quixote of chivalric romances; Gulliver's Travels of travelogues; Spaceballs of Star Wars)

🛠️ Literary Device Prompts

    Analyze the use of Metaphor: (e.g., "All the world's a stage" in As You Like It; "The road was a ribbon of moonlight"; "He is a shining star")

    Analyze the use of Simile: (e.g., "O my Luve is like a red, red rose"; "As solitary as an oyster" in A Christmas Carol; "He fought like a lion")

    Analyze the use of Personification: (e.g., "The wind whispered through the trees"; "Death, be not proud"; "The city never sleeps")

    Analyze the use of Imagery (Sensory Detail): (e.g., The description of the Valley of Ashes in The Great Gatsby; The sounds of the battlefield in The Red Badge of Courage) 9In. Analyze the use of Allusion: (e.g., The title The Sound and the Fury to Macbeth; The title Brave New World to The Tempest; Biblical allusions in Moby-Dick)

    Analyze the use of Juxtaposition: (e.g., The two cities in A Tale of Two Cities; "Light" and "dark" imagery in Romeo and Juliet; The "good" vs. "evil" twin trope)

    Identify an Oxymoron: (e.g., "O brawling love, O loving hate" in Romeo and Juliet; "Parting is such sweet sorrow"; "Living dead")

    Identify a Paradox: (e.g., "I must be cruel, only to be kind" in Hamlet; "War is peace" in 1984; "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times")

    Analyze the use of Dramatic Irony: (e.g., The audience knows Juliet is only asleep, but Romeo thinks she is dead; The audience knows Oedipus married his mother, but he doesn't)

    Analyze the use of Verbal Irony (Sarcasm): (e.g., "A little more than kin, and less than kind" in Hamlet; Mark Antony calling Brutus "an honourable man"; Mr. Bennet's dry remarks in Pride and Prejudice)

    Analyze the use of Situational Irony: (e.g., The fire station burning down; The marriage counselor getting a divorce; The ending of "The Gift of the Magi")

    Identify the Catharsis: (e.g., The feeling of pity and fear at the end of Oedipus Rex; The emotional release at the end of King Lear)

    Analyze the use of Anaphora (Repetition): (e.g., "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."; "I have a dream..."; "Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition!")

Format as narrative command prompts

Here are 100 narrative elements, reformatted as actionable command prompts for a writer, storyteller, or creative.

🎭 Character Prompts

    Craft a Protagonist who is... (e.g., as flawed as Winston Smith in 1984, as witty as Elizabeth Bennet, as determined as Harry Potter).

    Design an Antagonist who is... (e.g., as symbolic as Big Brother, as manipulative as Iago, as powerful as Lord Voldemort).

    Create a Foil Character to... (e.g., a logical Watson to an intuitive Holmes, a rival Malfoy to a heroic Harry, a passionate Laertes to a pensive Hamlet).

    Develop a Deuteragonist who... (e.g., provides loyalty like Samwise Gamgee, provides intellect like Hermione Granger, provides a grounding presence like Dr. Watson).

    Introduce a Mentor who is... (e.g., as wise as Gandalf, as morally complex as Atticus Finch, as mysterious as Dumbledore).

    Employ a Character Archetype such as... (e.g., The "Trickster" like Loki, The "Innocent" like Ophelia, The "Rebel" like Han Solo).

    Utilize a Stock Character for... (e.g., The "Mad Scientist" like Dr. Frankenstein, The "Damsel in Distress," The "Hard-Boiled Detective").

    Plot a Dynamic Character's Arc from... (e.g., selfish to selfless like Scrooge, good to evil like Walter White, prejudiced to loving like Elizabeth Bennet).

    Write a Static Character to serve as... (e.g., a moral anchor like Atticus Finch, an unchanging enigma like Sherlock Holmes, a voice of reason like Miss Maudie).

    Build a Round Character with... (e.g., deep contradictions like Hamlet, complex motivations like Scarlett O'Hara, a tormented psyche like Raskolnikov).

    Use a Flat Character for... (e.g., comic relief like Mrs. Bennet, a simple obstacle like Crabbe & Goyle, a specific plot function like Benvolio).

    Define a complete Character Arc, such as... (e.g., Macbeth's fall from hero to tyrant, Katniss's journey from survivor to revolutionary).

    Reveal a compelling Backstory through... (e.g., a sudden memory like Snape's, a gradual investigation like in Citizen Kane, a direct confession).

    Define an Internal Motivation for your character... (e.g., Macbeth's ambition, Hamlet's need for existential proof, Raskolnikov's desire to be a "superman").

    Define an External Motivation for your character... (e.g., Katniss's need to protect her sister, Frodo's quest to destroy the Ring, a character needing to win prize money).

    Assign a Fatal Flaw (Hamartia) to... (e.g., Othello's jealousy, Oedipus's hubris, Macbeth's ambition).

    Engineer an Epiphany where the character... (e.g., suddenly understands their error like Scrooge, realizes the truth from a letter like Elizabeth Bennet, sees the world differently like in "Araby").

    Use Direct Characterization to... (e.g., state a fact plainly: "Scrooge was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone.").

    Use Indirect Characterization to... (e.g., show a messy room to imply a chaotic mind, reveal a character's secret kindness to their sister like Darcy).

    Write an Internal Monologue that... (e.g., debates a decision like "To be or not to be," reveals a chaotic mind like Molly Bloom's soliloquy).

    Craft Dialogue with Subtext that... (e.g., has witty banter like Much Ado About Nothing, carries unspoken tension like a Hemingway story).

    Employ Dialect or Idiolect to... (e.g., build character like Hagrid's accent, establish setting like the folksy speech in Huckleberry Finn).

📈 Plot & Structure Prompts

    Establish the Exposition by... (e.g., an opening crawl like Star Wars, a description of the world like in 1984, an introduction by a narrator like The Great Gatsby).

    Trigger the Inciting Incident where... (e.g., a wizard delivers a letter, a character volunteers as tribute, a character inherits a powerful object).

    Construct the Rising Action as... (e.g., a series of tests like in The Odyssey, a series of tense encounters like Darcy and Elizabeth, a hunt for objects like the Horcruxes).

    Execute the Climax as... (e.g., the final duel between hero and villain, a dramatic confession, a shocking revelation).

    Map the Falling Action where... (e.g., a letter explains everything, the hero returns home, the side-effects of the climax are explored).

    Deliver a satisfying Resolution where... (e.g., the feuding families reconcile, the main characters marry, the case is officially closed).

    Write a Dénouement that... (e.g., shows the characters "19 years later," features the narrator's final reflections, shows the aftermath of the trial).

    Structure a Linear Narrative that... (e.g., follows a clear A-B-C progression like The Hunger Games or Of Mice and Men).

    Structure a Non-linear Narrative by... (e.g., fracturing time like Pulp Fiction, jumping between past and present like Slaughterhouse-Five).

    Begin In Medias Res with... (e.g., a battle scene like The Iliad, a character already in peril, the middle of a mysterious event like Oedipus Rex).

    Weave in a crucial Flashback using... (e.g., a narrator's story like in Wuthering Heights, an investigation of the past like Citizen Kane).

    Insert a Flash-forward that... (e.g., shows a prophetic vision like in A Christmas Carol, reveals a future state like in Slaughterhouse-Five).

    Use Foreshadowing to... (e.g., hint at the future with a prophecy like Macbeth, a symbolic object like Lennie's dead mouse).

    Plant a "Chekhov's Gun" that... (e.g., a pistol introduced in Act I, a necklace shown in an early scene, a specific skill mentioned in passing).

    Deploy a Plot Twist where... (e.g., a character's identity is revealed like in Fight Club, a parent's identity is revealed like in Star Wars).

    Plant a Red Herring to... (e.g., create a false suspect like Snape in Sorcerer's Stone, stage a fake death like in And Then There Were None).

    End a chapter with a Cliffhanger like... (e.g., Han Solo frozen in carbonite, a character learning a shocking truth, a "To Be Continued..." moment).

    Develop a meaningful Subplot such as... (e.g., the romance between Sam and Rosie in LOTR, the love triangle in King Lear).

    Construct Parallel Plots that... (e.g., follow different timelines like Dunkirk, follow separate journeys like in The Two Towers).

    Control the narrative Pacing to be... (e.g., breathless and rapid like The Da Vinci Code, or slow and methodical like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).

    Create a MacGuffin which is... (e.g., an object everyone wants like the One Ring, a mysterious briefcase like in Pulp Fiction, the Maltese Falcon).

    Deliver Poetic Justice where... (e.g., the villain is undone by their own scheme like Jafar, the evil stepsisters get their comeuppance).

    Use a Deus ex Machina (and justify it) such as... (e.g., the eagles rescuing Frodo and Sam, a sudden inheritance, a last-minute cavalry charge).

    Outline a Quest Narrative for... (e.g., a journey home like The Odyssey, a quest to destroy an object like The Lord of the Rings).

    Structure your story on The Hero's Journey by... (e.g., following the steps for Luke Skywalker in Star Wars or Neo in The Matrix).

⚔️ Conflict Prompts

    Define the Central Conflict as... (e.g., Harry vs. Voldemort, The Rebellion vs. The Empire, Elizabeth's prejudice vs. Darcy's pride).

    Externalize an Internal Conflict like... (e.g., Hamlet's indecision, Raskolnikov's guilt, Winston Smith's "thoughtcrime").

    Choreograph an External Conflict such as... (e.g., a duel like Hamlet vs. Laertes, a hunt like in Moby-Dick, a physical journey like The Odyssey).

    Focus on a "Character vs. Self" struggle over... (e.g., a split personality like Fight Club, a moral failing like Scrooge's greed, a difficult choice).

    Stage a "Character vs. Character" rivalry between... (e.g., a detective and a criminal like Holmes vs. Moriarty, a hero and a manipulator like Othello vs. Iago).

    Build a "Character vs. Society" conflict where... (e.g., a character fights the state like Winston Smith, defies a community like Hester Prynne, rebels against a system like Katniss).

    Craft a "Character vs. Nature" struggle against... (e.g., a great beast like in Moby-Dick or The Old Man and the Sea, an unforgiving environment like in Lord of the Flies).

    Invent a "Character vs. Technology" problem with... (e.g., a rogue AI like HAL 9000, a creation gone wrong like Jurassic Park, a cyborg army like The Terminator).

    Write a "Character vs. Supernatural/Fate" story where... (e.g., a character cannot escape a prophecy like Oedipus, a character fights a monster like in Frankenstein).

    Clearly establish the Stakes by... (e.g., putting the world at risk, threatening the hero's life, endangering a character's love).

    Build narrative Tension with... (e.g., Hitchcock's "bomb under the table" scenario, the silence before a duel, a character hiding).

    Create Suspense by... (e.g., withholding information in a "whodunit," delaying the resolution of a "will they/won't they" romance).

🌍 Setting & World Prompts

    Choose a symbolic Physical Location like... (e.g., the bleak marshes in Great Expectations, the isolated Overlook Hotel in The Shining).

    Ground the story in a specific Time Period such as... (e.g., the Roaring Twenties in The Great Gatsby, the French Revolution in A Tale of Two Cities).

    Use Time of Day to set the mood like... (e.g., the "witching hour" for horror, the oppressive midday heat in The Stranger, a hopeful dawn).

    Use Weather as a plot device such as... (e.g., a storm that reflects the character's turmoil like in King Lear, a fog that obscures the truth like in Hound of the Baskervilles).

    Establish a powerful Atmosphere/Mood of... (e.g., dread like in Dracula, nostalgia like in The Catcher in the Rye, whimsy like in Alice in Wonderland).

    Define the Social/Political Climate as... (e.g., totalitarian like 1984, a rigid class system like Pride and Prejudice, wartime paranoia like Catch-22).

    Define the story's Cultural Context by... (e.g., showing the rules of Puritan society, the disillusionment of the post-war era, the constraints on women in A Doll's House).

    Engage in World-building by... (e.g., defining the magic system of Harry Potter, the districts of The Hunger Games, the history of Middle-earth).

    Make the Setting symbolic of... (e.g., the green light representing hope in The Great Gatsby, the moors representing wildness in Wuthering Heights).

    Employ Pathetic Fallacy where... (e.g., the weather reflects the character's mood, such as rain at a funeral or sun when they fall in love).

🗣️ Point of View & Narration Prompts

    Tell the story in First-Person POV from... (e.g., a cynical teenager like Holden Caulfield, an observant neighbor like Nick Carraway, a determined survivor).

    Tell the story in Second-Person POV by... (e.g., addressing the reader as "You," like in Bright Lights, Big City or "Choose Your Own Adventure" books).

    Use Third-Person Limited POV to... (e.g., follow one character closely, filtering all events through their perspective, like Harry Potter).

    Use Third-Person Omniscient POV to... (e.g., move between all characters' thoughts, like the god-like narrator in Middlemarch or War and Peace).

    Use Third-Person Objective POV as... (e.g., a "camera lens" that only reports actions and dialogue, like in "Hills Like White Elephants").

    Create an Unreliable Narrator who is... (e.g., deceitful like Humbert Humbert, deluded like the narrator of Fight Club, naive, or insane).

    Develop a unique Narrative Voice that is... (e.g., cynical and teenage like Holden Caulfield's, formal and archaic like Dracula's, folksy and oral like Huckleberry Finn's). s

    Write a Stream of Consciousness passage to... (e.g., capture the raw, unfiltered flow of a character's thoughts, like in Ulysses or Mrs. Dalloway).

    Construct an Epistolary Narrative using... (e.g., letters and journals like Dracula, emails, text messages, or diary entries like The Color Purple).

    Employ a Frame Story where... (e.g., a story is told within another story, like in Frankenstein or One Thousand and One Nights).

💡 Theme, Tone & Style Prompts

    Define the core Theme as... (e.g., "Absolute power corrupts" in 1984; "Class and wealth do not equal happiness" in The Great Gatsby).

    Explore a Thematic Concept like... (e.g., "Love" in Romeo and Juliet; "War" in All Quiet on the Western Front; "Justice" in To Kill a Mockingbird).

    Imply a Moral such as... (e.g., "Slow and steady wins the race"; "Don't judge a book by its cover"; "Be careful what you wish for").

    Weave in a recurring Motif like... (e.g., the green light in The Great Gatsby, the motif of blood in Macbeth, the "whiteness" of the whale in Moby-Dick).

    Incorporate Symbolism using... (e.g., an object like the scarlet "A" or the conch shell, an animal like the mockingbird).

    Write an Allegory where... (e.g., the story stands for something else, like Animal Farm for the Russian Revolution, or The Pilgrim's Progress).

    Establish a consistent Tone that is... (e.g., satirical like Pride and Prejudice, somber like Oedipus Rex, cynical like 1984, whimsical).

    Choose your Diction (Word Choice) deliberately to be... (e.g., simple and concrete like Hemingway, ornate and "eldritch" like Lovecraft, academic).

    Define your Syntax (Sentence Structure) as... (e.g., short and declarative like Hemingway, or long and winding like Faulkner).

    Write a Pastiche that... (e.g., imitates the style of another work, like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead does with Hamlet).

    Write a Parody that... (e.g., mocks the conventions of a genre, like Don Quixote with chivalric romance or Spaceballs with Star Wars).

🛠️ Literary Device Prompts

    Create a Metaphor like... (e.g., "All the world's a stage"; "The road was a ribbon of moonlight"; "He is a shining star").

    Create a Simile like... (e.g., "As solitary as an oyster"; "He fought like a lion"; "O my Luve is like a red, red rose").

    Use Personification to... (e.g., make the wind whisper, make death "be not proud," make the city "never sleep").

    Evoke strong Imagery (Sensory Detail) by... (e.g., describing the sounds of a battlefield, the smell of a location, the look of the Valley of Ashes).

    Insert a meaningful Allusion to... (e.g., the Bible in Moby-Dick, The Tempest in Brave New World, another famous work).

    Use Juxtaposition to... (e.g., place "light" and "dark" imagery together, contrast two cities, put a poor character next to a rich one).

    Write an Oxymoron such as... (e.S., "O brawling love, O loving hate"; "Parting is such sweet sorrow"; "living dead").

    Formulate a Paradox like... (e.g., "I must be cruel, only to be kind"; "War is peace"; "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times").

    Set up Dramatic Irony where... (e.g., the audience knows Juliet is only asleep but Romeo doesn't; the audience knows Oedipus's true identity).

    Use Verbal Irony (Sarcasm) like... (e.g., Mark Antony calling Brutus "an honourable man," the dry wit of Mr. Bennet).

    Engineer Situational Irony such as... (e.g., a fire station burning down, a marriage counselor getting a divorce, the ending of "The Gift of the Magi").

    Build to a Catharsis that... (e.g., provides an emotional release for the audience, like at the end of Oedipus Rex or King Lear).

    Use Anaphora (Repetition) to... (e.g., create rhythm: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."; "I have a dream...").

list 100 command prompts for data analysis

Here is a list of 100 command prompts for data analysis, categorized by the typical data analysis workflow.

1. Data Definition & Acquisition

    Define the primary business question(s) to be answered.

    Identify all necessary data sources (e.g., SQL DB, CSVs, APIs).

    Query the database to extract [specific data] using [SQL join/filter].

    Scrape data from [webpage/API] using [Python library/tool].

    Merge [Dataset A] and [Dataset B] on the [common key/index].

    Concatenate [Dataset A] and [Dataset B] vertically.

    Create a data dictionary (metadata) for all available variables.

    Verify the integrity, origin, and freshness of the data.

    Load the [CSV/Excel/JSON] file into a pandas DataFrame.

    Sample the data to create a smaller, representative subset.

2. Data Cleaning & Preprocessing

    Identify and count all missing (null/NaN) values per column.

    Calculate the percentage of missing data for each feature.

    Formulate a strategy for handling missing data (e.g., deletion, imputation).

    Impute missing numerical values using the [mean/median].

    Impute missing categorical values using the [mode/a constant].

    Perform advanced imputation using [k-NN Imputer/MICE].

    Identify and count all duplicate rows in the dataset.

    Remove duplicate records based on [all columns/a subset of columns].

    Verify and correct the data type for each column (e.g., string to datetime).

    Standardize categorical text (e.g., 'USA', 'U.S.', 'America' -> 'USA').

    Parse and extract components from a [datetime/text] column.

    Remove or replace special characters and whitespace from [text column].

    Identify outliers using the Z-score method (threshold: 3).

    Identify outliers using the Interquartile Range (IQR) method.

    Visualize potential outliers using a box plot for [feature].

    Apply a transformation (e.g., log, square root) to the [skewed feature].

    Normalize [feature] using Min-Max scaling.

    Standardize [feature] using Z-score (Standard Scaler).

    Convert [categorical feature] into numerical form using one-hot encoding.

    Convert [ordinal feature] into numerical form using label encoding.

    Bin (discretize) the [continuous feature] into [N] categories.

    Engineer a new feature by [combining/dividing two existing features].

3. Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)

    Calculate descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, std dev, quartiles) for all numerical features.

    Generate a frequency distribution and count plot for [categorical feature].

    Plot a histogram to understand the distribution of [continuous feature].

    Plot a density plot (KDE) for [continuous feature].

    Assess the skewness and kurtosis of [feature distribution].

    Create a bar chart to compare [numerical feature] across [categorical feature].

    Create a scatter plot for [variable 1] vs. [variable 2] to check for correlation.

    Add a regression line to the scatter plot.

    Calculate the Pearson correlation coefficient between [variable 1] and [variable 2].

    Generate a full correlation matrix for all numerical variables.

    Visualize the correlation matrix using a heatmap.

    Generate a cross-tabulation (contingency table) for [categorical var 1] and [categorical var 2].

    Plot a stacked bar chart to show the relationship between [cat var 1] and [cat var 2].

    Plot side-by-side box plots to compare [continuous var] across [categorical var].

    Use violin plots to compare the distribution shape of [continuous var] across [categorical var].

    Create a scatter plot matrix (pairs plot) for key numerical features.

    Plot a bubble chart using [var 1 (x-axis)], [var 2 (y-axis)], and [var 3 (size)].

    Plot [time-series variable] over time to identify trends.

    Decompose the time series into trend, seasonality, and residual components.

    Perform a cohort analysis to track [user retention/customer churn].

    Conduct an RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) analysis for customer segmentation.

    Analyze the user journey funnel to identify key drop-off points.

    Map geospatial data using a choropleth or scatter map.

4. Statistical Analysis & Hypothesis Testing

    Formulate a clear null hypothesis (H0) and alternative hypothesis (H1).

    Set the significance level (alpha) for the hypothesis test (e.g., 0.05).

    Check the assumptions for the chosen statistical test (e.g., normality, homogeneity of variance).

    Perform a Shapiro-Wilk test to check for normality.

    Perform Levene's test to check for homogeneity of variances.

    Perform a one-sample t-test to compare [sample mean] against a [known population mean].

    Perform an independent two-sample t-test to compare the means of [Group A] and [Group B].

    Perform a paired t-test to compare [before] and [after] measurements.

    Perform an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to compare means across [3+ groups].

    If ANOVA is significant, perform a [Tukey's HSD] post-hoc test.

    Perform a Chi-squared test for independence between [categorical var 1] and [categorical var 2].

    Perform a non-parametric equivalent test (e.g., Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis) if assumptions are violated.

    Calculate the p-value and determine statistical significance.

    Calculate the [95%/99%] confidence interval for the [mean/proportion].

    Perform a simple linear regression analysis with [Y] as the dependent variable.

    Interpret the R-squared, coefficients, and p-values of the regression model.

    Analyze the A/B test results to determine the winning variant.

    Calculate the statistical power (and Type II error) of the test.

5. Modeling & Machine Learning

    Split the data into training, validation, and test sets (e.g., 70/15/15 split).

    Establish a baseline model for performance comparison.

    Train a [Linear/Logistic] Regression model.

    Train a [Decision Tree] classifier and visualize the tree.

    Train an ensemble model (e.g., Random Forest, Gradient Boosting/XGBoost).

    Train a [k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN)] model and find the optimal 'k'.

    Train a [Support Vector Machine (SVM)] model.

    For classification, generate a confusion matrix.

    For classification, plot the ROC curve and calculate the AUC score.

    For classification, calculate precision, recall, and F1-score.

    For regression, calculate Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE).

    Perform hyperparameter tuning using [Grid Search/Random Search CV].

    Perform K-means clustering to identify [N] distinct groups.

    Use the elbow method to determine the optimal number of clusters (k).

    Perform Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for dimensionality reduction.

    Analyze the feature importance scores from the [Random Forest/XGBoost] model.

6. Interpretation & Reporting

    Summarize the top 3-5 key findings from the exploratory analysis.

    Interpret the results of the hypothesis test in plain business language.

    Translate the model's coefficients into actionable insights.

    Analyze the model's prediction errors: where and why does it fail?

    Identify any potential sources of bias in the data or model.

    List the limitations of the analysis (e.g., data quality, sample size).

    Formulate 3-5 data-driven recommendations based on the findings.

    Create a narrative (story) that explains the data from problem to solution.

    Prepare a slide deck for [technical/non-technical] stakeholders.

    Build an interactive dashboard (e.g., in Tableau, Power BI, Streamlit) to present the key findings.

    Outline the next steps and proposals for future analysis.

List 100 prompts for text analysis

Here is a list of 100 command prompts for text analysis, categorized by the typical workflow of a Natural Language Processing (NLP) project.

1. Data Collection & Ingestion

    Scrape [website/URL] for all text content in [HTML tag].

    Fetch the top [N] tweets containing the [keyword or hashtag].

    Load all .txt files from [directory] into a single corpus.

    Parse the [JSON/XML] file to extract the [text field] from each record.

    Query the [SQL database] to retrieve all entries from the [customer_feedback] column.

    Transcribe the [audio_file.mp3] using a Speech-to-Text API.

    Read and extract all text from the [document.pdf] file.

    Download the [N] most recent articles from the [RSS feed].

    Connect to the [API endpoint] and retrieve text data.

    Concatenate [file_A.csv] and [file_B.csv] into a single dataset.

2. Basic Preprocessing & Cleaning

    Convert all text in the corpus to lowercase.

    Remove all punctuation (e.g., '!', '.', '?') from the text.

    Remove all numerical digits from the text.

    Strip all HTML/XML tags from the raw text.

    Expand all contractions (e.g., "don't" -> "do not", "we'll" -> "we will").

    Remove all URLs and email addresses using regex.

    Standardize all whitespace (remove extra spaces, tabs, and newlines).

    Identify and remove all stopwords (e.g., 'the', 'is', 'a') using the [language] list.

    Perform stemming on all words using the [Porter/Snowball] stemmer.

    Perform lemmatization on all words (e.g., "running" -> "run") using WordNet.

    Correct common misspellings using a [spell-checking library/custom dictionary].

    Remove all non-ASCII or special characters.

    Normalize Unicode characters (e.g., NFD, NFKC).

3. Exploratory Text Analysis (ETA)

    Tokenize the corpus into individual words (word tokens).

    Tokenize the corpus into individual sentences (sentence tokens).

    Calculate the total word count for the entire corpus.

    Calculate the unique word count (vocabulary size).

    Calculate the lexical diversity (unique words / total words).

    Calculate the average sentence length (in words).

    Calculate the average word length (in characters).

    Generate a frequency distribution for the top [N] most common words.

    Plot the word frequency distribution on a log-log scale (Zipf's Law).

    Generate a bar chart of the top [N] most frequent n-grams (bigrams/trigrams).

    Create a word cloud from the corpus.

    Shutterstock

    Calculate a readability score (e.g., Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning-Fog) for each document.

    Plot a histogram of document lengths (word count per document).

    Identify and list all "hapax legomena" (words that appear only once).

4. Feature Engineering & Representation

    Create a Bag-of-Words (BoW) model using word counts.

    Generate a document-term matrix (DTM) from the corpus.

    Calculate TF-IDF (Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency) vectors for each document.

    Generate word embeddings for the vocabulary using a pre-trained [Word2Vec] model.

    Generate word embeddings for the vocabulary using a pre-trained [GloVe] model.

    Generate contextual sentence/document embeddings using a [BERT-based] model.

    Train a custom Word2Vec model on the corpus.

    Extract n-gram features (e.g., bigrams, trigrams) to capture word order.

    Engineer new features based on text metadata (e.g., punctuation count, all-caps word count).

5. Lexical & Semantic Analysis

    Find the [N] most semantically similar words to [target word] using word embeddings.

    Solve word analogies (e.g., "king" - "man" + "woman" = ?) using the embedding model.

    Perform semantic search to find the [N] documents most similar to a [query string].

    Calculate the cosine similarity between [document A] and [document B].

    Identify all synonyms for [word] using WordNet.

    Identify all antonyms for [word] using WordNet.

    Perform word sense disambiguation for the word [target] in its context.

    Identify and list all collocations (e.g., "New York", "machine learning").

    Analyze the semantic change of a word's usage over [time/different sub-corpora].

6. Syntactic Analysis (Grammar)

    Perform Part-of-Speech (POS) tagging on the entire corpus.

    Count the frequency of each POS tag (e.g., Noun, Verb, Adjective).

    Generate a dependency parse tree for a [sample sentence].

    Generate a constituency parse tree for a [sample sentence].

    Perform shallow parsing (chunking) to identify all noun phrases (NPs).

    Analyze the distribution of sentence structures (e.g., simple, compound, complex).

    Extract all subject-verb-object (SVO) triples from the sentences.

7. Information Extraction (IE)

    Perform Named Entity Recognition (NER) to extract all [People, Organizations, Locations].

    Extract all dates and times from the text.

    Extract all monetary values and currencies.

    Extract all email addresses and phone numbers using regex.

    Perform relationship extraction (e.g., find "who works for whom").

    Perform keyword extraction to identify the most important terms in each document.

    Extract all acronyms and their definitions (e.g., "NLP" -> "Natural Language Processing").

    Perform event extraction (e.g., identify "who did what to whom").

    Extract product names and model numbers from [technical documents/reviews].

8. Sentiment Analysis & Opinion Mining

    Classify the overall sentiment of each document (positive, negative, neutral).

    Calculate a polarity score (e.g., from -1 to +1) for each sentence.

    Calculate a subjectivity/objectivity score for each document.

    Perform aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) on [product reviews] to find opinions on [features].

    Plot the sentiment of the text over time (e.g., in a novel or news cycle).

    Perform emotion classification (e.g., joy, anger, sadness, fear) on the text.

    Identify and extract all "opinion" statements vs. "fact" statements.

    Analyze the sentiment associated with different [named entities/topics].

    Use a lexicon-based tool (e.g., VADER, TextBlob) for quick sentiment scoring.

    Train a custom sentiment analysis model on a [labeled dataset].

9. Topic Modeling & Text Clustering

    Perform text clustering (e.g., K-means) on the [TF-IDF/BERT] vectors.

    Visualize the document clusters using [t-SNE or UMAP].

    Apply Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to discover [N] hidden topics in the corpus.

    Analyze and list the top [N] keywords that define each topic.

    Analyze the topic distribution for each document.

    Evaluate the LDA model using the [topic coherence score/perplexity].

    Perform hierarchical clustering on the documents and visualize as a dendrogram.

    Compare the topics present in [Corpus A] vs. [Corpus B].

10. Advanced Modeling & Applications

    Build a text classification model to categorize [news articles/support tickets].

    Evaluate the classifier using accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score.

    Generate a confusion matrix to analyze the classifier's errors.

    Build a spam detection model for [emails/comments].

    Perform extractive text summarization to get the top [N] most important sentences.

    Perform abstractive text summarization to generate a new, human-like summary.

    Build a Question-Answering (QA) system based on the corpus.

    Build a machine translation model to translate from [Language A] to [Language B].

    Perform authorship attribution to identify the likely author of an anonymous text.

    Detect and flag instances of [hate speech/toxic language/PII].

    Generate new text in the style of the corpus using a [Language Model/RNN].

list 100 command prompts for creating narrative plots

Here are 100 command prompts for creating and developing narrative plots, categorized by the different stages and elements of storytelling.

1. The Inciting Incident & Setup

    Design an inciting incident that is a **personal mistake** (the protagonist's fault).

    Create an inciting incident that is a **discovery** (a hidden letter, a body, a map).

    The inciting incident is a **false summons** (a call for help that is actually a trap).

    Start the story **In Medias Res** (in the middle of the action) and use the plot to reveal *how* they got there.

    Introduce a "MacGuffin" (e.g., a briefcase, a drive, a relic) that everyone is trying to get.

    Present a "Call to Adventure" that the protagonist **adamantly refuses**.

    The story begins when two **mortal enemies** are forced to work together.

    Start the plot with the **protagonist's death** and tell the story through flashbacks.

    The inciting incident is a **ticking clock** (a bomb, a deadline, a spreading plague).

    The protagonist receives an **inheritance** (a house, a debt, a title) that is more than it seems.

    The plot begins when a **character from the past** (an ex, a former partner, a rival) reappears.

2. The Central Conflict

    Design a "Character vs. Self" conflict where the protagonist is their own worst enemy.

    Design a "Character vs. Society" conflict where the hero must topple a corrupt system.

    Design a "Character vs. Nature" conflict (a storm, a desolate wilderness, a wild animal).

    Design a "Character vs. Technology" conflict (a rogue AI, a faulty machine, social media).

    Design a "Character vs. Supernatural" conflict (a ghost, a demon, a god, a curse).

    Establish **two opposing goals** for two different main characters who are not enemies.

    Define the **Stakes**. What happens if the hero fails? Now, *triple* those stakes.

    Base the plot on a "Zero-Sum Game" (one character's win *must* be another's loss).

    Create a conflict based on a **Moral Dilemma** (a "Trolley Problem").

    The central conflict is not "Good vs. Evil" but **"Order vs. Chaos"**.

    The central conflict is **"Idealism vs. Cynicism"** (e.g., *Don Quixote*).

    The conflict is a **misunderstanding** that escalates to a dangerous level.

3. Character-Driven Plots

    Build the plot around a character's **Fatal Flaw** (Hamartia), like ambition or jealousy.

    Plot a **Redemption Arc** for a character who starts as a villain.

    Plot a **Corruption Arc** for a character who starts as a hero.

    A character's **lie or secret** is the engine of the plot; they must do anything to hide it.

    Use a **Prophecy** to dictate a character's actions, then make the prophecy self-fulfilling.

    Introduce an **Unreliable Narrator** whose version of events *is* the plot.

    Make the protagonist the **unwitting antagonist** of someone else's story.

    Base the plot on a character's **Obsession** (e.g., *Moby-Dick*).

    Create a plot based on **Mistaken Identity** or **Amnesia**.

    The protagonist must hunt a "White Whale" (a specific, elusive goal, person, or idea).

    The protagonist is **incompetent** but succeeds through "dumb luck," creating more problems.

    The protagonist must **clear their name** after being falsely accused of a crime.

    The protagonist **creates a "monster"** (literal or metaphorical) and must stop it.

4. Plot Twists & Reversals

    Engineer a plot twist: **"The Mentor is the true Villain."**

    Engineer a plot twist: **"The Villain's motive is justifiable, or even correct."**

    Engineer a plot twist: **"The 'ally' has been a 'traitor' or 'mole' all along."**

    Engineer a plot twist: **"The protagonist is already dead."**

    Engineer a plot twist: **"The protagonist and antagonist are the same person."**

    Engineer a plot twist: **"The entire story was a 'test' or 'simulation'."**

    Engineer a plot twist: **"The 'prize' or 'goal' is worthless, a trap, or a distraction."**

    Use a **Red Herring** to make the audience suspect the wrong person or solution.

    Plant a "Chekhov's Gun": Introduce a "useless" object in Act 1 that is the key to the climax.

    Use a **Flashback** to suddenly re-contextualize the *entire* plot.

    The protagonist **achieves their goal at the midpoint**, only to find it opens a Pandora's Box of new problems.

    The "villain" they were hunting is **already dead**, and someone else has taken their place.

    The protagonist **has the wrong goal**; the real problem is something else entirely.

    The "damsel in distress" is **actually the one in charge** and faked her own kidnapping.

5. Structure & Pacing

    Outline a classic **"Hero's Journey"** plot (Call, Refusal, Mentor, Trials, etc.).

    Outline a **"Three-Act Structure"** plot (Setup, Confrontation, Resolution).

    Design a **Parallel Plot** (Plot A and Plot B) that only converges at the climax.

    Add a **"Ticking Clock"** to a non-thriller plot to increase suspense.

    Create a **Non-linear Narrative** (e.g., *Pulp Fiction*, *Memento*).

    Structure the plot as a **Frame Story** (a story within a story).

    Use an **Epistolary** structure (plot told through letters, emails, logs, or news reports).

    Plot a **"Heist"** story (The Team, The Plan, The Complication, The Heist, The Getaway).

    Plot a **"Revenge"** story (The Wrongdoing, The Training, The Revenge, The Cost).

    Structure the plot around the **"Five Stages of Grief"** (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance).

    Insert a **"Midpoint Reversal"** where the hero's goal or understanding completely changes.

    Create a plot that **all takes place in one location** (e.g., a "bottle episode").

    Create a plot that **all takes place in real-time** (e.g., *24*).

    Design the plot as a **Time Loop** (e.g., *Groundhog Day*).

    The plot **tells the same event** from three different characters' perspectives.

    The plot is a **journey** (e.g., *The Odyssey*); each stop is a mini-plot.

6. The Climax

    Design a climax that is a **Pyrrhic Victory** (the hero wins but loses everything).

    Design a climax that is an **Intellectual Showdown** (a battle of wits), not a physical one.

    The climax must force the hero to use their **"weakness" as a "strength"**.

    The climax is a **public sacrifice** (the hero gives themselves up to save others).

    The climax is a **private moral choice** that no one else will ever know about.

    The climax reveals the **MacGuffin was a distraction**; the real prize was something else.

    The villain is defeated by their **own "Fatal Flaw"**.

    The hero and villain must **team up** to face a greater, unexpected threat.

    The hero **fails their goal**, but achieves a different, more important victory.

    The hero **wins by *refusing* to fight** the antagonist.

    The climax is a **chase sequence** that resolves the plot.

7. The Resolution & Dénouement

    Write a **Tragic** ending (the hero fails, dies, or becomes what they hated).

    Write a **Bittersweet** ending (the hero wins, but at a great personal cost).

    Write a **"Full Circle"** ending (the hero ends up back where they started, but changed).

    Write an **Ambiguous** or **Open-Ended** resolution, leaving the main question unanswered.

    Show the **Dénouement** (the "new normal") long after the climax is over.

    End with a **final twist** that redefines the entire story the reader just finished.

    The resolution is **not** what the protagonist *wanted*, but what they *needed*.

    The hero **rejects the "reward"** they earned at the end of the journey.

    The **villain gets away** and the hero must live with their failure.

8. Genre-Specific Plots

    (Mystery) Design a **"Locked-Room"** mystery plot.

    (Mystery) The **detective is the murderer** (using an unreliable narrator).

    (Sci-Fi) The plot is driven by a **Temporal Paradox** (e.g., *Back to the Future*).

    (Sci-Fi) The plot is a **"First Contact"** scenario with alien life.

    (Fantasy) The plot is a **"Chosen One"** narrative... but the prophecy was mistranslated.

    (Fantasy) The plot is a **"Siege"** on a castle/fortress (the "good guys" are inside).

    (Horror) The **"monster" is a metaphor** for a human trauma (grief, guilt, etc.).

    (Horror) The plot is a **"Found Footage"** narrative; the plot is *why* the footage exists.

    (Romance) Plot an **"Enemies to Lovers"** arc.

    (Romance) Plot a **"Forbidden Love"** story (rival families, different worlds).

    (Thriller) Plot a **"Cat-and-Mouse"** chase where the "mouse" is smarter than the "cat."

    (Thriller) The protagonist is an **ordinary person** who witnesses a crime and is now hunted.

    (Western) Plot a **"Showdown"** in a town that has been abandoned or taken over.

    (Biographical) Structure the plot around **five key objects** from the person's life, not dates.

more

Here are 50 more command prompts for creating narrative plots, focusing on more specific concepts, "what if" scenarios, and subversions of tropes.

11. "What If" & High-Concept Scenarios

    Plot a story where **humanity loses a sense** (e.g., sight, as in *Blindness*).

    What if **magic (or a new technology) was just invented** and the world is scrambling to understand it?

    What if the **"villain" from a famous fairy tale** was the protagonist and the hero was the antagonist?

    Plot a story where the **protagonist is the last human on Earth**... then they hear a knock on the door.

    What if **people stopped aging at 25** and time became the new currency? (e.g., *In Time*)

    The plot begins when the **laws of physics suddenly become unreliable**.

    What if your **imaginary friend from childhood** was real and shows up with a warning?

    Plot a story where **every lie a person tells** manifests as a physical mark on their body.

    What if a character could **enter their own dreams** to solve a problem, but it's dangerously addictive?

    The protagonist is a **"narrative detective"** who must enter famous books to stop a villain from changing their plots.

    What if **gravity was a limited resource** that people had to buy or mine?

    The protagonist is a **"memory surgeon"** who removes traumatic memories, but one day they find a memory of a crime they're about to commit.

12. Subverting Tropes

    Subvert the "Chosen One": The prophecy was a **clerical error**; the protagonist has no special powers.

    Subvert the "Mentor": The wise old mentor is **actively sabotaging** the hero for their own gain.

    Subvert the "Love Triangle": The two "rivals" for the hero's affection **fall in love with each other instead**.

    Subvert the "Final Battle": The hero and villain **meet to negotiate a treaty** instead of fighting.

    Subvert the "Damsel in Distress": The "damsel" **orchestrated her own kidnapping** to escape her life and frame the "hero."

    Subvert the "Dark Lord": The "villain" is just a **middle-manager** in a vast, bureaucratic evil corporation.

    Subvert the "Training Montage": The hero is **hopelessly bad** at the skill and must find a completely different, clever way to win.

    Subvert "True Love's Kiss": The kiss **doesn't work**, and the hero must find a practical, non-magical solution (like CPR or medicine).

13. Plot Constraints & Challenges

    Plot a story with **only one character** in one location (a "survival" or "psychological" plot).

    Create a plot that has **no spoken dialogue**, relying only on action and expression.

    Plot a "Rashomon-style" story: The **same event (e.g., a crime) is told by four people**, and all four versions are contradictory but contain a piece of the truth.

    The protagonist is **physically immobilized** (e.g., *Rear Window*) and must solve the plot from one vantage point.

    The plot **must be told in reverse chronological order** (e.g., *Memento*).

    The protagonist **cannot lie**. This creates all the conflict.

    The protagonist **must complete [X] tasks in [X] hours** (e.g., *The Labours of Hercules*).

    The plot unfolds entirely **on a computer screen** (through emails, video calls, browser windows).

    The protagonist and antagonist **never meet**; they only interact through indirect means (letters, proxies, online).

14. Complex Relationships

    The plot is driven by **Symbiotic Characters**: Two protagonists who are mortal enemies but are physically or magically bound together.

    The plot is a **"Body Swap"**: Two characters must live each other's lives and solve each other's problems.

    The protagonist is an **imposter** (a "cuckoo") who must perfectly integrate into a family or group to survive.

    The plot is driven by **professional rivalry** (e.g., *The Prestige*).

    The protagonist must **protect their worst enemy** for a higher purpose (e.g., "The Bodyguard" scenario).

    The plot is a **"found family"** (a group of outcasts) trying to survive against a common enemy.

    The plot centers on **two spies... who are married to each other**, and neither knows the other's secret (e.g., *Mr. & Mrs. Smith*).

    The protagonist **clones themself** to solve a problem, but the clone decides it's the "real" one and wants to take over.

15. Thematic & Abstract Plots

    Plot a story that is an **allegory** for [a current political event].

    The plot is driven by a character trying to **find the answer to a philosophical question** (e.g., "What is a good life?").

    The protagonist is the **physical embodiment of an idea** (e.g., Justice, Chaos, Love) living in the human world.

    Plot a **Dystopia vs. Utopia**: Two societies are at war, but the plot reveals the "Utopia" is the true villain.

    The plot is a **"Faustian Bargain"**: A character gets what they want, and the plot is about the "monkey's paw" consequences.

    The plot is driven by **mass hysteria** (e.g., *The Crucible*, a "witch hunt").

    The plot is about **building something**, not destroying it (e.g., *The Martian*, a "man vs. nature" problem-solving plot).

    The protagonist is **stuck in a bureaucratic nightmare** (e.g., *Brazil*, *The Trial*), and the plot is their attempt to escape it.

    The protagonist **witnesses the end of the world** and the plot is about what comes *after* (e.g., *Station Eleven*).

    The plot is a **"Golden Fleece"** or "A-Team" quest: a team of specialists is assembled to find/steal one specific, powerful object.

    The plot is a **Satire**: Take a serious genre (e.g., spy thriller) and write a plot that exaggerates its tropes to a ridiculous degree.

    The plot is a **"Groundhog Day" loop**, but the character *chooses* not to break it because they are in love with someone in the loop.

    The plot is a **"Jigsaw"**: The protagonist wakes up in a trap and must solve a puzzle tied to their past sins to escape.

list 100 command prompts for creating a country music song

Here is a list of 100 command prompts for creating a country music song, categorized by theme, structure, and a heavy emphasis on storytelling.

1. Song Titles & Hooks

Prompts built around a central, clever phrase or title.

    Write a song titled "She Got the Ring, I Got the Bar."

    Write a song based on the hook: "My Truck's Got More Miles Than Your Alibis."

    Use the title: "Learned More from Haggard Than I Did from Harvard."

    Write a song called "This Beer Won't Drink Itself."

    Base the song on the hook: "It's Not a Hangover, It's a Heartache."

    Write a song called "One-Lane Town, Two-Way Street."

    Use the hook: "The Only Thing Straight is the Whiskey."

    Write a song titled "T-Shirt and a Faded Pair of Jeans."

    Use the title: "Four-Wheel Drive and a Broken Heart."

    Write a song based on the pun: "I'm Not Over You, I'm Just Under Someone New."

    Use the hook: "We're a Saturday Night Sin and a Sunday Morning."

    Write a song called "Her Goodbye Was My 'Hello, Freedom'."

    Write a song titled "Another Song About a Truck" (and make it the best one yet).

    Use the hook: "She left me on read, but the Bible's still on the nightstand."

    Write a song called "We're Running on Fumes and Faith."

2. Themes & Concepts

Prompts based on the "big idea" of the song.

    Write a song about the pride of a working-class job (calloused hands, long hours).

    Write a song about being "country" in a big city.

    Write a song about the first time you drove a truck on your own.

    Write a song about the duality of Saturday night (partying) and Sunday morning (church).

    Write a song about a specific lesson your mother or father taught you.

    Write a song about finding God outside of a church (in a deer stand, on a boat, etc.).

    Write a "list" song (e.g., "Things a Man Oughta Know," "Reasons I Drink").

    Write a song about a first love that was tied to a specific summer.

    Write a song about the difference between a "house" and a "home."

    Write a song that is a direct, conversational prayer.

    Write a song about the deep regret of "the one that got away."

    Write a song celebrating a long-lasting, "old-school" love (50+ years).

    Write a patriotic song from the perspective of the spouse left at home.

    Write a song about a small town that is dying (boarded-up shops, no young people).

    Write a song about how a guitar (or a truck) saved your life.

3. Story & Plot (The Narrative)

Prompts that tell a clear, linear story.

    Tell the story of a first date, from picking her up to the front-porch kiss.

    Tell the story of a breakup that happens *inside* a truck.

    Tell the story of a family losing their farm.

    Tell the story of a couple getting married with no money, just love and a borrowed suit.

    Tell the story of a soldier's homecoming and how the town has (or hasn't) changed.

    Tell the story of "the night that changed everything" (a party, a fight, a decision).

    Tell the story of a man's life by listing the three or four trucks he's owned.

    Tell the story of running into an ex (and their new partner) at the grocery store.

    Tell the story of a wild night, pieced together from "evidence" the next morning.

    Tell the story of a high school football hero, 20 years later, working at the gas station.

    Tell the story of *why* a wedding ring is in a pawn shop.

    Tell the story of the last conversation you had with someone before they passed away.

    Tell the story of two people falling in love at a honky-tonk, with the band's songs as the backdrop.

    Tell the story of a young person buying a one-way bus ticket *out* of their small town.

    Tell the story of a young person buying a one-way bus ticket *back* to their small town.

4. Characters & Perspectives

Prompts written from a specific point of view.

    Write a song from the perspective of the "other woman" or "other man."

    Write a song from the perspective of a bartender listening to everyone's problems.

    Write a song from the perspective of the *truck* (what has it seen?).

    Write a song from the perspective of a grandfather giving life advice to his grandkid.

    Write a song from the perspective of the "one who left" the small town (not the one who stayed).

    Write a song from the perspective of the "black sheep" of the family.

    Write a song as a duet between two ex-lovers arguing in a bar.

    Write a song from the perspective of a guitar in a pawn shop, wondering who will play it next.

    Write a song from the perspective of a single dad doing his best.

    Write a song from the perspective of a small-town sheriff dealing with a local tragedy.

    Write a song from the perspective of the high school valedictorian who ended up as a waitress in the local diner.

    Write a song from the perspective of someone in jail, writing a letter home.

    Write a song from the perspective of a "good girl" who wants to have a rebellious night.

    Write a song from the perspective of a Nashville hopeful who's about to give up.

    Write a song from the perspective of the *town itself*, watching people be born, leave, and come back.

5. Setting & Imagery

Prompts that start with a powerful, specific country image.

    Start a song with the image of a "rusty barbed-wire fence."

    Write a song that takes place entirely on a "front porch swing."

    Use these three images in a song: "a dusty Bible," "an empty whiskey bottle," and "a picture on the dash."

    Write a song about a specific "dirt road" and all the memories made on it.

    Describe a small town by only describing its "local dive bar."

    Write a song centered on a "bonfire."

    Use the image of a "grain silo" as a central metaphor for the town, love, or a person.

    Write a song about the "state line" and the feeling of crossing it (either leaving or coming home).

    Use the image of "faded blue jeans" as a symbol for a long, comfortable relationship.

    Write a song about "Sunday dinner at Mama's house."

    Describe a "broken-down tractor" and make it a metaphor for a broken man.

    Write a song that takes place under the "high school football stadium lights."

    Write a song about "boots by the door" (who do they belong to? Are they coming or going?).

    Write a song that takes place in a "Waffle House" at 2 AM.

    Use the image of a "dog on the porch" as a symbol of loyalty and waiting.

6. Emotional & Tonal Prompts

Prompts based on a specific "feel" or emotion.

    Write a song that feels like "pure, unapologetic regret."

    Write a song that is a "bitter, angry, 'burn-the-house-down' goodbye."

    Write a song that feels like "quiet, Sunday morning gratitude."

    Write a song that's a "rowdy, beer-raising, Friday night party anthem."

    Write a song that is "deeply nostalgic" for a childhood that was simpler.

    Write a "take this job and shove it" song of defiant self-respect.

    Write a "heartbroken but hopeful" song (e.g., "I'm sad, but I'm going to be okay").

    Write a song that is 100% comedy or "redneck" humor.

    Write a song that is a "humble, simple, 'I'm not good with words' love letter."

    Write a song that captures the feeling of "stubborn, old-fashioned pride."

7. Structure & Songwriting (The Craft)

Prompts that challenge the song's construction.

    Write a song where the hook/title is a **clever turn of phrase** (a pun or wordplay).

    Write a song where the **last line of the chorus changes** every time it's sung.

    Write a song where the **first verse and last verse are identical**, but the meaning has changed because of the chorus in between.

    Write a song that is a **"letter"** to someone (e.g., "Dear [Name]...").

    Use a specific, simple chord progression (e.g., G-C-D-G) and write a compelling story over it.

    Write a song that tells a story **in reverse chronological order** (starting with the breakup, ending with the first hello).

    Write a song where the **bridge is a spoken-word** story.

    Write a song that starts **immediately with the chorus** before any verse.

    Use "internal rhyme" (rhymes within a single line) to make the verses more rhythmic.

    Use a "key change" in the final chorus for maximum emotional impact.

    Write a song where the entire story is told through **dialogue between two people**.

    Write a song where the verses describe different "scars" (physical or emotional) and the story behind each one.

    Write a song where the "call and response" in the chorus is central (e.g., "She said [X], and I said [Y]").

    Write a song with **no rhymes at all**, focusing purely on the story and melody.

    Write a song that describes a photograph and tells the story behind it.

more

Here are 50 more command prompts for creating a country music song, drilling down into more specific subgenres, advanced storytelling, and creative challenges.

8. The "Legacy" Song (Tributes & Tradition)

    Write a song paying tribute to a classic country artist (Waylon, Hank, Loretta, Dolly) by name-dropping their song titles.

    Write a song about an "heirloom" object (a grandfather's watch, a mother's cast-iron skillet, a father's old guitar).

    Write a song about the "ghosts" in your house (not literal ghosts, but the memories of the people who lived there before).

    Write a song that is a "passing of the torch" from one generation to the next (e.g., teaching your son to drive stick).

    Write a song titled "They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore."

    Write a song about the "names on the wall" in the local VFW Hall.

    Write a song from the perspective of the "Opry" stage itself, watching legends be born.

    Write a song about a specific, old-fashioned value (e.g., "a man's word," "a handshake deal").

    Write a song about the smell of your grandma's kitchen.

    Write a song titled "My Last Name" and what it means to carry it.

9. Subgenres & Niche Themes

    (Western) Write a "cowboy" song about the last night on a long cattle drive.

    (Outlaw) Write a song from the perspective of someone on the run, writing a letter to the one they left behind.

    (Trucker) Write a song about a truck driver who is "hauling angels" (a sad load, like a soldier's casket).

    (Red Dirt/Texas) Write a song that feels like a specific place (e.g., Gruene Hall, Terlingua, the Panhandle).

    (Bluegrass) Write a "murder ballad" from the perspective of the victim, the killer, or the town gossiping about it.

    (Fishing/Boat) Write a song that uses fishing as a metaphor for love ("She's a KEEPER," "Gotta Let That One Go").

    (Hunting) Write a song about the "father-son" bond that happens in a deer stand at dawn.

    (Gothic/Appalachian) Write a dark, minor-key song about a family secret, a feuding family, or a "holler" no one goes into.

    (Comedy) Write a "list" song of all the terrible things that happened this week (e.g., "The dog died, the truck broke down, the wife left...").

    (Beach/Islands) Write a song about a "redneck" on a white-sand beach (e.g., "a six-pack of PBR on a fancy resort chair").

10. Advanced Storytelling & Cheating Songs

    Tell the story of an affair from **three different perspectives**: the husband, the wife, and the "other person."

    Write a "cheating" song where the protagonist is **caught in the act**.

    Write a "cheating" song where the protagonist **finds the evidence** (a text, lipstick, a receipt).

    Write a song where the "big reveal" is that the narrator is **cheating with the *listener's* partner**.

    Tell a story where the **protagonist is mistaken**; they *think* their partner is cheating, but the surprise ending is innocent.

    Write a song from the perspective of a **child watching their parents' marriage fall apart**.

    Write a song about the **deep, cold regret** the morning after being unfaithful.

    Write a song titled "We Look Good on Paper" about a perfect couple that is secretly miserable.

    Write a "breakup" song where **no one is the bad guy**; they just fell out of love.

    Tell a story where the **bridge of the song jumps forward 10 years** to show the consequences of the story in the verses.

11. "What If" & Creative Challenges

    Write a song that is a **direct answer** to a classic country song (e.g., an answer to "Jolene" from Jolene's perspective).

    Write a song that starts with a **911 call** (either spoken or described).

    Write a song using only **two or three chords** (e.g., A, D, E) and make the *story* carry the song.

    Write a song where the protagonist is **talking to a gravestone**.

    Write a song that is a "to-do list" (e.g., "Fix the back porch, pay the bills, miss her").

    Write a song about **"If This Truck Could Talk."** What secrets would it tell?

    Write a song about **"If This Barstool Could Talk."** 1Good. Write a song about **praying for the opposite** of what you're supposed to (e.g., praying for a little trouble on a boring night).

    Write a song where the **protagonist is a ghost**, watching their own funeral.

    Write a song that is an **apology to your younger self**.

    Write a song that is a **"bar-fight" anthem**, describing the scene in slow motion.

    Write a song that **defends a "redneck" stereotype** as a point of pride.

    Write a song about **"the one that got away"... but you're glad they did**.

    Write a song about a **pawn shop guitar** and the stories of everyone who owned it before you.

    Write a song where the **"bad guy" (e.g., the banker, the rival) gets to tell their side** of the story.

    Write a song about **loving someone with an addiction**.

    Write a song that is a **list of "firsts"** (first kiss, first beer, first heartbreak).

    Write a song that is a **list of "lasts"** (the last time you spoke, the last dance, the last drive).

    Write a song about **building a life from nothing** but "two-by-fours and a dream."

    Write a song called **"The Only Time I Lie"** (e.g., when someone asks if I'm okay after the breakup).

list 100 command prompts for creating a country music song with a twist ending

Here is a list of 100 command prompts for a country music song, with a specific focus on creating a narrative twist ending.

1. The "It's Not a Person" Twist

(The "she" or "he" in the song is revealed to be an object, place, or concept.)

    Write a classic "she left me" ballad. In the last line, reveal "she" is the bank-man towing away his prized, unpaid-for truck.

    Write a song about a beautiful "girl" he met at 16 who "taught him how to feel." The twist: he's singing about his first guitar.

    Write a song about a "jealous lover" who's always there for him and waits by the door. The twist: he's singing about his dog.

    Write a song about a "wild" and "untamable" woman he can't get over. The twist: he's singing about his addiction to alcohol.

    Write a song about a "temptress" who ruins his life (breaks up his marriage, takes his money). The twist: he's singing about his gambling addiction.

    Write a song about "the one that got away." The twist: he's singing about the small town he left, not a person.

    Write a song about a "dependable" partner he's had for 20 years. The twist: it's his old, rusty, but reliable tractor.

    Write a song about a "new love" that's "hot" and "fast." The twist: it's a new "Hellcat" or sports car he just bought.

    Write a song about "her" and all the secrets she holds. The twist: he's singing about the "holler" or woods where he grew up.

    Write a song about "her" always being on his mind and in his hand. The twist: he's singing about his smartphone and social media.

    Write a love song to "Angie" or another name. The twist: it's the name of his boat.

    Write a song about a "cold-hearted woman" who "left him for a richer man." The twist: he's singing about the music business ("Nashville") that rejected him.

    Write a song about "her" being "all he thinks about." The twist: he's a farmer singing about "rain."

2. The "Perspective" Twist

(The narrator isn't who we think they are.)

    Write a song about watching a couple fall in love. The twist: the narrator is the *father* of the bride, giving a speech at her wedding.

    Write a classic "cheating" song about a woman's lies. The twist: the narrator is the man she's cheating *with*, not her husband.

    Write a song about a sad, lonely funeral. The twist: the narrator is the *ghost* of the person in the casket, watching the attendees.

    Write a song about a breakup. The twist: the narrator is the *dog*, wondering why "daddy" (or "mommy") left.

    Write a "murder ballad" from the killer's POV. The twist: the narrator is the *murder weapon* (e.g., "I was the rifle in his hands").

    Write a song about a man's deep love for his wife. The twist: he's an unreliable narrator; the "wife" is a kidnapping victim (a *Misery*-style plot).

    Write a song about a mean old man in a small town. The twist: the song is sung by his son, who realizes in the last verse that *he* is now that mean old man.

    Write a song from the POV of a bartender watching a man spiral. The twist: the narrator *is* the man at the bar, talking to himself in the mirror.

    Write a song about "the one that got away." The twist: the narrator is a woman, and she's singing about her *female* best friend she was secretly in love with.

    Write a song about a soldier's funeral. The twist: the narrator is the *soldier*, watching from above, wishing he could comfort his family.

    Write a song about a wild, rebellious woman. The twist: the narrator is her *mother*, who was just as wild in her youth.

    Write a song from the perspective of a guitar in a pawn shop, telling the stories of its past owners.

    Write a song about a tough, mean-spirited man. The twist: the narrator is the *sheriff* who has to arrest his own brother.

3. The "Innocent Explanation" Twist

(The setup sounds suspicious or sad, but the ending is happy/innocent.)

    Write a song about a man acting suspiciously (hiding his phone, working late). His wife thinks he's cheating. Twist: He was buying her the dream car they always wanted.

    Write a song about a man at a bar, "staring at a woman." It sounds like a pickup song. Twist: It's his wife of 20 years, and he's just falling in love with her all over again.

    Write a song about a "one night stand." The twist: it's a single dad up all night with a colicky new baby.

    Write a song about "the other woman." The twist: it's his newborn daughter, who is now the new "most important girl" in his life.

    Write a song about a man burying something in the woods late at night. It sounds like a murder. Twist: He's burying the beloved family dog that just died.

    Write a song about a man "talking to another woman" on the phone every night. Twist: it's his mom, who has been sick.

    Write a song about a man who "can't come home tonight." It sounds like he's leaving. Twist: He's a trucker stuck in a blizzard, trying to get home for Christmas.

    Write a song about a "Dear John" letter. Twist: the letter is from the *bank*, foreclosing on the farm, not from his wife.

    Write a song about a man with "another woman's perfume" on his shirt. Twist: He was visiting his grandma in the hospital, and her perfume rubbed off on him.

    Write a song about a man "crying over a picture" of a woman. His wife is jealous. Twist: It's a picture of his sister, who passed away.

    Write a song called "The Last Time." It sounds like a breakup. Twist: It's about the last time he saw his son before he left for college.

4. The "Dark / Guilty" Twist

(The setup sounds innocent or nostalgic, but the ending is dark.)

    Write a nostalgic "first love" song about a high school romance. Twist: The narrator is singing to her gravestone, and the last line reveals he was responsible for her death (e.g., drunk driving).

    Write a "good old days" song about his childhood best friend. Twist: The friend is now in prison, and the narrator is the one who testified against him.

    Write a "party" anthem (bonfire, trucks, beer). Twist: The last verse reveals it's a *memory* from before his DUI, which he's singing from a jail cell.

    Write a sweet song about a man "building a house" for his new wife. Twist: He's building it on *stolen land*, and the law is coming.

    Write a song about a man's deep devotion to his wife. Twist: He's singing at her funeral, and the last line implies *he* killed her.

    Write a "fishing" song about a big catch. Twist: He's not fishing; he's dumping a body in the lake.

    Write a song about "teaching my son" (to hunt, to fish). Twist: He's teaching his son how to *get away with* a crime.

    Write a happy-sounding song about a "harvest." Twist: He's a drug dealer harvesting his illegal crop, not a farmer.

    Write a song about a "long-haul trucker." Twist: He's not hauling freight; he's a human trafficker.

    Write a song about a man who "finally left" his small town. Twist: He's not in a new city; he's on death row, and "leaving" is his execution day.

    Write a song about a "family tradition." Twist: The "tradition" is a feud or a crime (e.g., "making 'shine").

    Write a song about a man who loves his new girlfriend. Twist: She's his *brother's* wife.

5. The "Time Shift / Re-contextualization" Twist

(The meaning of the song changes when we learn when or where it's happening.)

    Write a rowdy "Friday night" anthem about what he's going to do (drink, party). Twist: In the last line, a cell door slams, revealing it's his *fantasy* for when he's released.

    Write a song that sounds like a breakup letter. Twist: The narrator is writing a *suicide note*.

    Write a song about a man complaining about his life (wife, kids, job). Twist: He's at their funeral (after a car crash), realizing he'd give anything to have those "problems" back.

    Write a song about a perfect date. Twist: It's a *dream* the narrator is having; he's actually in a lonely hospital bed.

    Write a song that sounds like a soldier's letter *home*. Twist: It's a letter *from home* that the soldier is reading on the front line, right after his buddy was killed.

    Write a song about a man fixing up an old house. Twist: He's fixing it to sell; it's the house he and his ex-wife built together, and it's the last part of the divorce.

    Write a song that sounds like a man talking to his wife. Twist: He's talking to her *gravestone*.

    Write a song that sounds like a man talking to his sleeping wife. Twist: She's in a *coma*.

    Write a "first date" song. Twist: It's an *old man* with Alzheimer's "meeting" his wife for the "first time" again in the nursing home.

    Write a song about a man's love for his truck. Twist: The truck is a *memory*; he's now old, in a nursing home, and can't drive anymore.

    Write a song about a "big football game." Twist: It's not a high school game; it's a *memory* a man is having while in chemo, fighting for his life.

    Write a song about a man promising "this time will be different." Twist: He's a relapsing alcoholic talking to his wife, not a cheater.

6. The "Gotcha / Clever Wordplay" Twist

(The hook of the song is a pun that changes meaning.)

    Write a song called "I Finally Hit the Bottle." It sounds like he's drinking. Twist: He's a songwriter who finally got a hit song on "Bottle" (a brand of whiskey).

    Write a song called "She Took Everything." It sounds like a breakup. Twist: He's a new father; "she" (his wife/baby) "took" his heart, his sleep, his last name, etc., in a *good* way.

    Write a song called "The Only Time I Lie." It sounds like he's a cheater. Twist: The "lie" is when he "lies down" next to her at night.

    Write a song called "I'm Missing You." Twist: The verses describe all the ways he's *not* sad about the breakup; he's "missing" all the "drama" and "fights."

    Write a song called "I'm Done." It sounds like a breakup. Twist: He's "done" being a party-boy; he's ready to settle down.

    Write a song called "Here's Your Sign." It sounds like he's calling her dumb. Twist: He's *literally* giving her a "For Sale" sign for her half of the house.

    Write a song called "She Got the House." Twist: The house is *haunted* or a "money-pit," and he's glad to be rid of it.

    Write a song called "I'm in Bars All the Time." It sounds like he's an alcoholic. Twist: He's a musician *playing* in bars, or he's a cell phone with "bad reception."

    Write a song called "She's My Drug." It sounds like a love song. Twist: He's an undercover cop, and she's his "drug" *case*.

    Write a song called "He's in a Better Place." It sounds like a eulogy. Twist: He's in a bar in *Cancun* after the divorce.

7. The "Role Reversal" Twist

(The characters' roles are swapped or revealed to be different.)

    Write a song about a "bad boy" trying to corrupt a "good girl." Twist: The "good girl" was faking it; she's *way* crazier than he is and *she* corrupts *him*.

    Write a song about a "tough guy" (bar fights, tattoos). Twist: He's a "teddy bear" at home, singing about his wife and new baby.

    Write a song about a "beauty queen" who seems to have it all. Twist: She's miserable, trapped, and dreams of being the "plain" waitress in the song's first verse.

    Write a song about a "preacher's daughter." Twist: She's the *wildest* girl in town, not the "angel" everyone assumes.

    Write a song about a "rodeo cowboy." Twist: He's *terrified* of the bull, but he does it to pay for his son's medical bills.

    Write a song about a "broke" man who can't give his girl anything. Twist: He's "broke" *like a horse* (wild, untamable), not poor.

    Write a song about a "good, quiet" wife. Twist: She's been slowly poisoning her abusive husband.

    Write a song about a man *begging* his wife not to leave. Twist: She's not leaving *him*; she's dying of cancer.

8. The "Mistaken Identity" Twist

(The plot is driven by a misunderstanding.)

    Write a song about a man who's *convinced* his wife is cheating. He follows her. Twist: She was "cheating" on her *diet* at a secret donut shop.

    Write a song about a man who sees his girlfriend with another man. He starts a fight. Twist: It was her *twin sister* he'd never met.

    Write a song about a man seeing a "Wanted" poster with his face. He goes on the run. Twist: It was an ad for a *look-alike contest* he misread.

    Write a song about a man who thinks his son isn't his. Twist: He sees the "other man" (the mailman, etc.), but the last verse reveals the son looks *exactly* like his own grandfather.

    Write a song about a man who thinks his "tough" new boss hates him. Twist: The boss is his *girlfriend's father*, and he's just testing him.

    Write a song about a man who "stole" a truck. Twist: He accidentally took the *wrong set of keys* and drove off in an identical truck from the parking lot.

9. The "Unreliable Narrator" Twist

(The narrator's version of events is completely wrong.)

    Write a song about a "perfect" life (white picket fence, kids, dog). Twist: The narrator is *lying* to his old friends; his life is falling apart.

    Write a song about a "wild night" of partying. Twist: The narrator is an *old man* in a nursing home, telling a tall tale to his nurse.

    Write a song about how "he's the bad guy" in the breakup. Twist: The narrator is *her*, and she's completely delusional and was the one who cheated.

    Write a song about a man who "has it all under control." Twist: He's a "functional" alcoholic whose family is holding an intervention *right now*.

    Write a song about a man who "won" the breakup. Twist: He's singing it *to* his ex's new, happy wedding, trying to convince himself.

    Write a "hero" song about a man who "saved" a woman. Twist: He's a stalker who "saved" her from a date *he* set up to fail.

10. The "Full Circle / Bookend" Twist

(The song ends where it began, but the meaning is now different.)

    The song starts with a man saying "I do" at his wedding. It sounds happy. The song describes a long, hard life. Twist: The song ends with him saying "I do" again... as a "yes" to pulling the plug on his sick wife.

    The song starts with a "For Sale" sign on a house. The verses describe a new, happy family moving in. Twist: The *last* line is the narrator (the original owner) hammering the "For Sale" sign back in after *his* family has left and the house is empty again.

    The song starts with a boy "running away" from home (down the driveway). The verses describe him *actually* running away (joining the army, moving to the city). Twist: The song ends with him as an old man "running" (in his wheelchair) back down that same driveway to see his childhood home.

    The song starts with "a beer in his hand" on a Friday night. The verses describe a life of partying and regret. Twist: The song ends with "a beer in his hand"... but he's pouring it out on his best friend's grave.

    The song starts with a "packed suitcase." It sounds like a breakup. The verses describe a hard-working man. Twist: The song ends with the "packed suitcase" as he finally takes his wife on the vacation he's been promising for 40 years.

    The song starts with "a positive test." It's a "scared young couple" story. The verses describe their hard, but happy, life. Twist: The song ends with another "positive test"... but this time it's for *cancer*.

    `The song starts with "two pink lines."

    Shutterstock

A young couple is terrified. The verses describe their daughter's life. Twist: The song ends with "two pink lines"... from their daughter's pregnancy test, and they are now the "scared" grandparents.99.The song starts with a man "learning to walk" (a baby). The verses describe him "learning to run" (football), then "walking" down the aisle. Twist: The song ends with him in a hospital bed "learning to walk" again after an accident.100.The song starts with a young couple "broke" in a "one-room apartment." The verses describe their success. Twist: The song ends with them as a rich, divorced couple, and the man is back "broke" (emotionally) in a "one-room apartment."`