38 Plot Ideas (Plus 7 Ways to Find More)

Plot concepts, story ideas, are in all places. You solely have to take a look at outlandish headlines, or lower a group newspaper into phrases to attract from a hat. Learn 7 methods to search out plot concepts, and 38 plot concepts generated utilizing these strategies.

To seek out plot concepts to develop additional:

1. Search genre-specific phrases in Google Information
2. Trawl Reddit subreddits for inspiration
3. Play with cut-ups
4. Reply guided prompts
5. Mix Wordle guesses into an thought
6. Select a fantasy and discover methods to rewrite it
7. Begin from a plot thought template

Let’s delve into methods to give you plot concepts:

1. Search genre-specific phrases in Google Information

To find plot ideas impressed by information headlines and articles:

1. Make a listing of key phrases and phrases for the style you wish to write. For love, phrases akin to ‘courting’, ‘relationships’, ‘love’, ‘romance’, work as a place to begin. Attempt longer phrases if feeling adventurous.
2. Enter the time period in Google Information and look via headlines till one catches your consideration for its story potential.
3. Both use the headlines itself as a foundation for a plot thought, or scan the article to jog additional inspiration.

Learn plot ideas for romance and thriller tales we got here up utilizing the above brainstorming technique, under:

5 romance plot concepts from headlines

The under romance plot concepts have been generated by looking out the information for the phrases ‘courting’ and ‘love’:

Discovering love within the metaverse

Headline: ‘The Metaverse now has roughly the identical SA inhabitants as courting websites’ (from an article by Luke Daniel for Enterprise Insider).

Romance plot thought: Two folks meet in a metaverse courting sim and start fall in love, solely to search out out that they’re utterly completely different in actual life. Exterior of the simulation, each need to make massive changes to rediscover what drew them to one another within the first place.

Character provides up on on-line courting solely to search out love

Headline: ‘Can on-line courting burnout be stopped?’ (BBC Information).

Romance plot thought: A [insert high-powered job] struggles with on-line courting, ghosting and different dangerous conduct. When [character] lastly provides up, places down their telephone and makes a listing of ‘actual world’ issues they wish to obtain, whereas fulfilling mentioned checklist, love comes knocking.

Would-be lovers have very completely different views on local weather change

Headline: ‘4 of the highest courting traits for 2022 thus far’ (Mashable).
[Mashable explores trends such as daters favoring similar values and positions on issues over more superficial attractions.]

Romance plot thought: Two folks meet at a local weather change protest and have sturdy chemistry. There’s a snag: One’s a local weather change activist, the opposite a denialist.

Married couple finds method to maintain the spark alive

Headline: ‘Folks Who Have Been Married 10+ Years Are Sharing How Their Lives Have Modified’ (Buzzfeed)

Romance plot thought: A pair is because of have fun their eleventh wedding ceremony anniversary, however cracks start to point out after they notice they’ve each fallen out of affection. They uncover a shared ardour for [hobby/activity/other] that helps them discover the best way to maintain the connection going when out of affection.

Uncharismatic particular person is alluring for a day

Headline: ‘Love and Relationship Horoscope for July 4, 2022’ (Hindustan Instances). [This plot idea is drawn from the hyperbolic forecasting of Virgo’s irresistible charisma.]

Romance plot thought: Uncharismatic [character] finds on account of [cause] that they’re irresistibly charismatic, but in addition learns the results will final for someday solely.

The day begins with bizarre, undesirable consideration. But simply as the results are sporting off, a random encounter holds promise. But will the spark nonetheless be there tomorrow?

5 crime plot concepts from headlines

The identical idea-finding course of works for jogging inspiration in different genres. For instance, looking out the phrase ‘killer’ and ‘unsolved’ yielded these crime story ideas:

Crime occurs nearer to house for reporter

Headline: ‘‘Why did you homicide my father?’ How Liz McGregor confronted a killer’ (The Guardian)

Crime/thriller plot thought: A seasoned journalist used to overlaying murders is left reeling when their very own member of the family is killed and the killer refuses to speak regardless of overwhelming proof indicating their guilt. They seek for solutions on the occasions that led to the killing.

Tenacious mom’s act prompts solutions

Headline: ‘Helen McCourt homicide: Mum hopes loss of life of daughter’s killer, Ian Simms, will assist her discover the physique’ (Sky Information).

Crime/thriller plot thought: A mom decided to be taught the reality about her lacking youngster’s final days attends a suspect’s trial every day holding a portrait of their youngster. A passerby on the street acknowledges the particular person within the portrait and approaches her with a troubling new lead that locations her in a double bind.

Detective uncovers native exercise in world trafficking ring

Headline: ‘Philadelphia PD cites ‘crushing’ quantity of homicides as chilly instances stay unsolved’

Crime/thriller plot thought: A scarcity of police affords in a district of Philadelphia leaves a lone, overburdened detective in nice hazard when he stumbles throughout a small, native cell in a bigger worldwide trafficking ring that entails native authorities who maintain important energy.

Grieving moms take motion after childrens’ killings

Headline: ‘Unsolved Murders and the moms of Jackson, Mississippi’ (CBS Information).

Crime/thriller plot thought: A bunch of moms in Jackson, Mississippi who meet via an area assist group for bereaved dad and mom have sufficient of police inaction. They take investigation into their very own arms, with initially dire however finally change-bringing outcomes.

Unsolved instances solved by decided mum or dad

Headline: ‘5 unsolved murders of kids courting again to 2005 stay chilly instances’ (IOL)

Crime/thriller plot thought: The murders of 5 native kids below comparable circumstances rock a small group. Native politicians in the meantime use the murders for point-scoring and the police are corrupt. It’s as much as the group to search out justice. One mum or dad turns into an unlikely hero and achieves what the authorities can’t.

What plot concepts can your individual news-mining unearth?

2. Trawl reddit subreddits for inspiration

Some social media platforms are wonderful sources for plot concepts.

Take Reddit, for instance. Due to its extra narrative format, it’s a group the place member share longer, extra detailed tales.

Reddit is split into topical communities or ‘subreddits’ and these are attention-grabbing locations to search out story concepts.

Some subreddits you may probe for story concepts starters:

• /r/tifu/ – this group, TIFU (an acronym for ‘At the moment I ****** up), is the place members share embarrassing or awkward tales. Helpful fodder for story or scene concepts
• /r/todayilearned/ – At the moment I Discovered is the place members share random factoids or strange-but-true info they’ve discovered, from particulars about historic figures to unusual info of biology or well-liked tradition
• /r/unsolvedmysteries/ – This subreddit is all about unsolved mysteries, akin to well-known and lesser-known lacking individuals instances. Helpful (however TW: violent and different unsettling content material) for crime/thriller writers
• /r/AskReddit – Right here, group members pose and reply random questions, akin to ‘If aliens visited earth and also you needed to play a recreation with them to clarify humanity, what wouldn’t it be?’

10 plot concepts impressed by reddit

Learn ten plot concepts impressed by reddit posts (subreddit and style in brackets):

1. A girl who works at a health membership is fired after asserting her being pregnant. Her employers are unaware of maternity-related labor protections which have lately handed in her state. She sues and makes use of the proceeds to begin her personal, profitable women-only health chain (/r/babybumps, authorized/political).
2. A linguist with indigenous heritage fights tirelessly to protect their language that’s endangered due the rising dominance of English of their homeland (/r/todayilearned, historic).
3. [Character] is battling to return to phrases with their mum or dad’s Alzheimer’s prognosis and the deterioration of their reminiscence. They recall a favourite track and play it to them with profound, transformative outcomes (/r/todayilearned, household drama/modern).
4. A chef is an unimaginable prepare dinner but solely when blind drunk, resulting in points at their new put up in a teetotal area. (/r/AskReddit, humor/cooking).
5. Aliens go to a 10-year-old and he insists they play Monopoly, sparking an intergalactic conflict when their chief loses (/r/AskReddit, humor/center grade).
6. In a world have been everybody has superpowers, an bizarre particular person is exalted for his or her ordinariness. (/r/AskReddit, fantasy).
7. [Character] goes on a faculty outing and by accident tramps via an costly artwork set up, setting off a series of calamities. (/r/tifu, humor/center grade).
8. The FBI posts coded notes which might be the one clue in a 1999 chilly case, not anticipating a ten-year-old math genius to be the one to crack the code. What they discover subsequent means they’ll want her additional assist. (/r/unsolvedmysteries, thriller/crime).
9. A noblewoman dwelling in Hungary within the 1500s is accused of torturing and killing attendants, but her standing and energy make it arduous for the legislation to carry her to account (/r/unsolvedmysteries, thriller/historic).
10. A excessive court docket chief justice’s daughter is arrested in a triple-homicide case, leaving him torn between skilled and household loyalties. (/r/unsolvedmysteries, authorized/thriller).

3. Play with cut-ups

So-called ‘cut-ups’ are an idea-finding technique synonymous with the writer William S. Burroughs, who used this system extensively.

A technique to make use of cut-ups to search out plot concepts:

1. Take a non-essential piece of printed writing, akin to an previous group newspaper.
2. Reduce out phrases or phrases – at the least ten or extra.
3. Put the lower out phrases in a field or different container and draw X phrases/phrases at random.
4. Use the phrases you drew in a logline-format abstract of a narrative idea as a place to begin.

Instance plot concepts utilizing the cut-up technique

We took an article on criminals posing as metropolis authorities, and one other promoting a luxurious retirement middle. This gave 12 phrases. We then drew 5 blind:

• criminals
• hair salon
• subterranean
• pockets
• film

Plot concepts utilizing these randomly-chosen phrases:

1. A hair salon is held hostage by crazed criminals who’re re-enacting the plot of their favourite film, a few subterranean gang who sneak above floor to steal wallets.
2. Rival hair salons run by felony syndicates function underground empires. One dabbles in making C-grade motion pictures, the opposite in making counterfeit wallets.
3. The hairdressers on the worst hair salon on the planet are barely-reformed criminals who pickpocket prospects’ wallets.
4. A film a few hair salon goes horribly incorrect when the director leaves their pockets with their private particulars in a espresso store by chance, falling prey to a felony rip-off that dangers their present film and repute.
5. A film crew rents out a hair salon for a shoot, unaware that the constructing is owned by criminals with mild wallets who’re in search of a payday.

What plot concepts are you able to give you utilizing 5 random phrases?

Be happy to vary some phrases to near-synonyms or depart some out of the abstract (you’ll see a few of the above are a stretch).

4. Reply guided prompts

A much less time-consuming possibility for locating plot concepts is to use a prompt-based process.

The Now Novel dashboard is a browser-based writing instrument for brainstorming story concepts. Attempt the free ‘Central Thought’ part to start your story in structured steps.

Utilizing the instrument for ten minutes generated these concepts, utilizing the identical phrases because the above train:

1. Criminals working a subterranean community in a rundown neighborhood are pressured above floor by excavations.
2. An unconventional hair salon for the bald offers a spot for conversations between strangers, serving to patrons who’ve hair loss for a wide range of causes come to phrases with life modifications and medical diagnoses.
3. A film shoot a few salon will get furry when it turns into obvious there’s a assassin among the many solid and crew, the one clue being a dropped pockets.
4. A band of criminals attempt to depart crime behind to open a hair salon. When wallets begin going lacking the opposite companions need to determine the best way to method the scenario.
5. A hair salon proprietor is on the threat of getting the enterprise they’ve constructed from scratch shut down, after they obtain an unlikely proposal from a felony gang.

Make a structured begin to your story

Begin with structured prompts and develop with a useful group.

Learn More

5. Mix Wordle guesses in an thought

Many writers take pleasure in taking part in Wordle, a word-game offered by The New York Times. The premise is easy: Guess a five-letter phrase in six tries or much less.

Typically the phrases you guess take you down surprising paths of phrase associations. Take these guesses from a latest try:

• Wired
• Pouts
• Taunt
• Mulch
• Butch
• Hutch

Like cut-ups, a random collection of phrases akin to this offers a enjoyable starting point for a story idea. For instance, these plot concepts:

1. In a small city, Mulch, the highschool bully, wired the college rabbit hutch closed and that was solely the beginning. It’s as much as a band of savvy eighth grade misfits to deliver him down.
2. Three brothers, Butch, Mulch and Hutch are as completely different as you may get. However in a sleepy city like Taunterton, there’s no time for sibling squabbles ending in sulky pouts – you must come collectively to get out.
3. The editor-in-chief of Hutch Submit Wired, a nationwide tech journal, taunts their method to the highest, mistreating their group. However a hack and public scandal unearthed by an area journalist may deliver down their empire.

6. Select a fantasy and discover methods to rewrite it

Plot ideas abound in mythologies from all over the world.

Historic Greek, Egyptian, Norse and different mythologies are dense with fables and larger-than-life characters.

Should you’re attempting to find story concepts, learn via collections of myths or their summaries. Some examples of plot concepts taken from myths:

1. A strong man is secretly a shapeshifter and makes use of his skill to commit a sequence of assaults till his skill is revealed to an initially sceptical detective. (‘Leda and the Swan’).
2. Nightmare in-laws set a person twelve duties, every harder than the final, earlier than they’ll welcome him into the household (‘The Twelve Duties of Hercules’).
3. A younger girl is kidnapped and her captor exacts merciless punishment for every mistake she makes throughout her captivity if she errs from an arbitrary algorithm (‘The Delusion of Persephone’).
4. A girl searches for her murdered husband’s physique, solely to search out that he has change into ruler over the useless (‘The Delusion of Isis and Osiris’).

7. Begin from a plot thought template

A ultimate method to find a novel plot idea is to begin from a broad, generalizing plot thought template and refine your premise till you’ve gotten one thing authentic (or, at the least, you).

Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, which he describes as a ‘plot idea embryo’, is an adaption of the Hero’s Journey story construction. The template has 8 easy phases:

Play with this broad template for a narrative thought based mostly on the above:

[Character name], a [relatable quality, e.g. struggling, dreaming, determined] [profession/type], wants/needs [thing/state/answer]. Their seek for [thing/state/answer] appears additional away than ever when [first obstacle happens]. They discover [thing/state/answer], however [major obstacle or conflict 2]. They return house, having discovered/modified [description of change].

Right here’s a plot thought instance based mostly on Harmon’s story circle:

1. Ralph, a sort retired instructor, finds out he doesn’t come up with the money for to make it via his retirement [need]. A go to to his hippie sister cross-state [threshold] makes him determine to develop dope to promote, however it’s unlawful in his state [first obstacle]. He narrowly dodges arrest in his new enterprise, and issues are wanting dire (and somebody ought to have warned him about sampling your individual provide) [road of trials], however a brand new legislation legalizing marijuana is handed simply in time for Ralph to journey the primary wave of pot tourism and guarantee a cushty future [change].

What plot concepts are you able to give you utilizing the above template?

Start writing your story with the assist of a useful group alongside the best way.