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.
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.
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