Tag: writingprompt

TikTok is Bad for your Writing

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

And in other news, water is wet!

Please excuse the obvious titling. In truth, it’s not just TikTok specifically, though, that has been the newest catalyst for this problem I’m experiencing regarding social media and its relationship to the creative process. You might be wondering: what problem exactly am I referring to? What is there to be said on this topic that hasn’t already been reiterated numerous times online? Social media is distracting and, therefore, we become too distracted to create. Duh. We all know this.

And yes, this much is true. Social media is horrible for our attention spans, but I’m going to take a break from railing against this specific issue and focus on another one that I have personally experienced this month. This is the issue of inspiration overload and the resulting creative paralysis that ensues.

I love a good Pinterest scroll. This was my first social media of choice as a teen. I felt like it helped me get started on a project by getting my brain churning with endless inspiration. It had it all! Writing prompts, concept art, writing playlists, tips, life hacks—everything!!!

For the most part, I walked away from my Pinterest scrolls feeling positive at this time. I’d scroll with a specific goal in mind, further develop an idea, pin a few pins (or even create a new board for this one idea), and then walk away within 10–15 minutes. Done!

I don’t know where I went wrong… well, I have a guess, so let’s discuss.

There came a point where my social media habits became less orderly. As an adult, school took up less time, I got on additional social media, and simultaneously, those platforms became more attention-grabbing and endless. I remember a time when you could scroll Instagram and it would eventually give you a message like, “That’s it! You’ve seen everything new that there is to see! Now go do something else!”

It definitely no longer does this.

You can scroll and scroll and scroll. This is true of every social media platform right now.
“It’s for inspiration!” I’d say. After all, it was writing-related content that I was consuming. After a point, however (whether due to the nature of the content or the sheer amount of it), I found it very easy to slip into the role of consumer as opposed to creator. Ideally, you should be able to do both, but that does require a certain level of balance that feels nearly impossible to obtain. What is that magic amount of time to scroll BookTok or Pinterest concept art before the very practice itself becomes a creativity-eating monster?

What I found was that after consuming copious amounts of writing content, I was hit with this intense feeling of creative paralysis. I recalled the gazillions of writing tips and do’s and don’ts. I recalled all that I should be doing. Show, don’t tell. Use metaphors. Don’t use metaphors. Use them sparingly. Adverbs are evil. Adjectives are evil. Passive voice is okay. Passive voice is evil. Develop your world entirely before writing. It will develop as you write, and then you have to rewrite it all. Put your character development above worldbuilding. Worldbuilding is key. And blah, blah, blah, blah.

I can’t write and I suck. That’s the conclusion of today’s writing session.

You see, we weren’t made to have this many voices speaking into our lives, much less our creative process.

At some point, inspiration stops being fuel and starts being noise. And while social media loves to market itself as a wellspring of creativity, it rarely tells us when to stop drinking. Creativity, at least for me, doesn’t thrive in a crowded room full of opinions shouting over one another. It needs quiet. It needs boredom. It needs the uncomfortable stretch of sitting with an idea long enough for it to become something mine.

So maybe the solution isn’t cutting out inspiration entirely, but treating it with a little more intention and a lot more restraint. Fewer voices. Fewer rules. More trust. Because the work doesn’t happen in the scroll. It happens when you finally close the app, sit down, and let yourself write badly, imperfectly, and freely again.

So happy late new year! Let’s make stuff again and give it a rest. The mantra I want to embody this year is Less is more. No more drinking out of a fire hose. Let’s try to think of it more as taking a sip from a well. Slow and steady.

How to Generate Stories from a Deck of Cards

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

🃏Deck of Tales: Turn a Deck of Cards into a Storytelling Game

Did you know your old deck of playing cards is secretly a novel generator?

If you were the kind of kid who made your barbies have backstories or invented entire kingdoms on notebook paper, Deck of Tales is for you.

This game turns a plain old 52-card deck into a whimsical, dramatic, slightly chaotic storytelling machine. It’s part improv, part intuition, and all creativity. Great for writers, kids, bored adults, or anyone who wants to escape into a made-up world for a bit. It’s a game I invented as a middle schooler, and I hope you’ll get as much joy out of it as I have. But, enough backstory, on to the rules!

🎲 What You Need:

  • A regular ol’ deck of cards
  • Your imagination (and maybe a notebook if you’re a writer-type)

🧙‍♀️ The Magic of the Cards:

Face Cards = Characters
These are your story’s stars.

  • Kings are leaders, wise or power-hungry
  • Queens are love interests, schemers, warriors, or socialites
  • Jacks are dreamers, rogues, or loyal sidekicks

Aces = Fate
These cards shake things up.

  • Ace of Spades = The villain appears
  • Ace of Hearts = Love is declared
  • Ace of Clubs = A major battle or victory
  • Ace of Diamonds = Treasure or opportunity

Number Cards = Events
Each number is a kind of scene. Each suit gives it a flavor.

Suits = Story Themes

  • ♥ = Emotions, relationships
  • ♠ = Conflict, mystery, death
  • ♣ = Action, battle, adventure
  • ♦ = Wealth, ambition, discovery

Numbers = Action Prompts

  • 2 = A new encounter
  • 3 = A choice must be made
  • 4 = A new place
  • 5 = An obstacle appears
  • 6 = Bonding or betrayal
  • 7 = A clue or item is found
  • 8 = A fight or competition
  • 9 = A shocking reveal
  • 10 = A major turning point

Jokers (if you want to get wild): Plot twist! Magic! Prophecy! Sudden death! Dream sequence!

🧩 How to Play: The 7-Card Spread

  1. Shuffle your deck.
  2. Lay out 7 cards in a row. These are your story beats:
    1. Setting
    2. Main character appears
    3. Conflict begins
    4. Rising action
    5. Twist!
    6. Climax
    7. Resolution
  3. Interpret each card using the guide above.
  4. Tie it all together into one juicy little tale.

✨ Bonus Ways to Play:

  • Genre Remix: Assign each suit a genre. (♥ = Romance, ♠ = Mystery, ♣ = Fantasy, ♦ = Sci-Fi)
  • Free Write Oracle: Pull cards one at a time and just write what comes to mind. No rules.
  • Group Mode: Each person draws a card and becomes that character. Let the drama unfold.

💡 Example:

You draw:

  • 4♦ (a new city)
  • Q♥ (a charming love interest)
  • 6♠ (a betrayal)
  • J♣ (a loyal bestie)
  • A♠ (the villain arrives!)
  • 8♣ (a showdown)
  • 10♥ (a love confession that changes everything)

Story Summary:
A traveler stumbles into a glittering city. They fall for a mysterious woman. Just when things heat up, betrayal! With help from a scrappy sidekick, they escape. But then, the villain strikes. After a fight in the rain, love wins the day. Cue dramatic music.

If you’ve ever wanted to write a novel without actually writing a novel, this might be your new favorite game.

Let me know if you try it! I’d love to hear the wild tales your deck delivers.

Preview of my Next Book

~ Brooke F. ~ 4 Comments

I don’t talk about my faith a ton on the blog. Not that I am ashamed of it but it’s something I usually I don’t delve too deep into as most people are probably here for writing tips and random writing experiments. BUT when I write poetry, it tends to spill out in all its honest glory. My next poetry book is all about love lost and God. The heartbreak stuff, the deep stuff, the wrestling-through-questions kind of stuff. It’s the most vulnerable I’ve been with my writing in a while, admittedly.

I wanted to give you a little sneak peek. If this sounds like your cup of tea at all, feel free to keep reading. If not, see ya in the next post, I’ll not hold it against you 😉

This poem came from one of those thoughts that just wrecks you in the best way: Do you think Jesus, when He prayed in the garden, thought about Adam and Eve? About walking with them in the cool of the day? And did He already know that His sacrifice would reach all the way back to redeem even them?

I had never considered that before and when I did, the parallel seemed interesting. So, naturally, I wrote a poem about it.

Here it is: The Tale of Two Gardens

The Tale of Two Gardens

Do you think, when Christ knelt in the garden all alone,

That He thought of the first breath, or the first bone?

Of footsteps that walked on soil in the cool of the day

Two souls unashamed, then two led astray.

Did He think of the fruit, the reaching of hands,

Yearning beyond what he commands.

Of fig leaves stitched with a shiver of dread,

Of paradise lost, and the very first tears ever shed?

Did he think of their conversations with his first own,

As He whispered His prayer in that garden of stone?

Did He see not just thorns but a tree once denied,

Where mercy was given, but they were not yet justified.

He sweat drops of blood where they once walked free,

But even then, grace reached backward, far beyond what we see.

Redemption is deeper than we understand.

It touches the first folly of humans, the Savior’s extended hand.

And Father, perhaps, when night turned to day,

And the stone rolled back from where Love chose to stay,

The echo of Eden rang sweet through the skies,

For even the first ones were brought back to life.

Everyday Writing Tips: How to Write an Email

~ Brooke F. ~ 3 Comments

So here’s the deal: writing is kind of my big/main hobby. But even though I love crafting poems and playing with metaphors, sometimes the most stressful kind of writing is the everyday stuff. Emails. Cover letters. Thank-you notes. That weird blur of casual-but-still-professional communication that no one really teaches you how to do (at least in my experience. Maybe your parents really did you a solid and helped you out here).

Hence: this new blog series. I’m calling it “Everyday Writing Tips”. Today’s topic is email writing. Yaknow, “How to Sound Like a Functioning Adult Without Using “thank you” 47 Times in an Email.”

These posts are for anyone who’s ever stared at a blank screen thinking, “How do I start this? Am I being too awkward? Too formal? Do I need to say ‘hope you’re doing well’ or has that too over the top??”

Like I mentioned, we’re starting off with how to write an email. It’s something we all do, but somehow still overthink. I’ll break down a basic email structure, give you some go-to phrases (and a few to maybe retire), and help you send that message with a little more confidence and a little less spiraling and overthinking.

Let’s get into it and move along…

The Anatomy of a Non-Awkward Email

1. Subject Line:
Make it clear. Make it useful. Think “Question about Thursday’s Meeting” or “Follow-Up on Resume Submission” not “Hi!” or “Quick Thing :)” (vague and unhelpful) (unless you’re emailing your best friend or your mom or something).

2. The Opening Line:
Ah yes, the dreaded start (often the hardest part). If you’re unsure, “Hi [Name],” is a safe bet. Or a quaint little “Good afternoon [Person]”
Depending on the vibe, you can go:

  • Professional: “I hope this message finds you well.”
  • Casual: “Hope you’re having a good week so far!”
  • Direct (but not cold): “I wanted to reach out about…”

If you’re overusing “just,” take this as your sign to delete it. You probably don’t just want to ask them something, you want to ask them something. Be bold.

3. The Body:
Get to the point, kindly. If you’re making a request, say it clearly. If you’re giving info, organize it so it’s easy to skim. Don’t bury your important info. Use short paragraphs and bullet points if needed.

Example:
“I’m reaching out to confirm a few details for Thursday’s meeting:

  • Time
  • Location
  • Any materials you’d like me to bring”

Clear, kind, human. Boom, you’re done! Great job! Sound the applause! Now you can stop feeling like you’re going to throw up with professional anxiety.

4. The Closing:
Don’t overthink it. A few go-to sign-offs:

  • “Best” (simple and safe)
  • “Thanks” (if you’re asking for something)
  • “Take care” (friendly)
  • “Talk soon” (casual but not too casual)
  • My go-to is a simple “Kind regards”

And unless you’re a scammer, phisher, or hacker, please sign your name.

A Few Bonus Tips

  • Tone check: Read it out loud. If it sounds like you’re a robot or someone who’s about to cry, you might want to tweak it.
  • Be concise: Respect people’s time. Say what you need to say, and let them get back to their inbox abyss. Chances are they have a lot to weed through on this fine Monday morning.

K, I think that’s it??

But to conclude…The goal isn’t to be perfect. It’s to be clear, respectful, and gracious. But, that’s it for Email 101. Feel free to drop any suggestions below for this series. ‘Til then, happy emailing.

The Fairytale We All Live: A Poem

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

I.

The chandeliers drip with crystal

tonight, the kingdom spins.

The ballroom a lake of glass and reflections,

Filled with perfume and possibility.

She wears a gown of wishes,

And a veil of desire, longing.

A crown, though lovely, sits heavy.

II.

First comes Sorrow,

cloaked in deep blue,

his fingers cold.

He was like dancing with a fine mist,

Wrapping round then gone.

speaks in poems and sighs.
“Stay with me,” he whispers. “I’ll understand you better than most.”

III.

Next is Riches

gold threaded through a wide smile,

he smells of coins,

conquest is his game.

He spins her fast,

so fast she forgets her own name.

“I can give you everything,” he hums. “You’ll never need again.”

IV.

Then Pride,
in a tailored suit that sounds like applause

when ruffled.

Mirrors in his eyes he says to her,

“With me…You’ll be seen. You’ll be known.”

They waltz among the envious glances and the Princess

is tempted.

But she is dizzy from the asking.

Her feet ache from the circling.

V.

Then

a quiet man,

Silent as the night,

simple coat,

scars in his palms.

Crown of vines…or even barbs?

no entourage.

“May I?”

They dance.

No promises.

No bargains.

Just the hush of a heartbeat

in time with her own.

When the music slows,

And the night comes to a close,

he does not ask for her hand.

He only thanks her for the dance.

She watches him leave the floor,

A hush over her spirit,

And she wonders

if she might choose him.

Confessions of a KDP Survivor: A Tragedy writ in Poetry

~ Brooke F. ~ 4 Comments

Look, I thought self-publishing my book would feel like presenting the world a piece of my soul and everyone would instantly clap at my literary genius *dramatic hair flip*. But let’s get back to reality and discuss it because while I’m not a genius with a masterpiece to produce, the whole process had moments where it felt a sort of like cyclical hell of reformatting the same script over and over again…just to reupload it and see A new problem had been invented by my means of fixing the previous problem. Lovely.

So here, dear reader, are a few poems chronicling my deeply emotional, slightly ridiculous (and mundane) journey with Kindle Direct Publishing. May they bring you laughter, healing, and maybe a slight eye twitch in solidarity.

The Upload Spiral

(A sonnet, sort of. Shakespeare is not impressed.)

I clicked “Upload”—how easy!—with coffee in hand,
A hopeful young writer with dreams so grand.
But lo! My margins were not flush, my gutter misbehaved,
And half of my poem was tragically shaved.

“Bleed error,” it screamed, “Fix your trim size, you doof!”
My table of contents went straight up through the roof…(of the page.)
I resized and reformatted, cursed Kindle’s name,
Then tried a new layout… with results just the same.

I whispered to Canva, “Make me a cover!”
She laughed, “Sure thing… but your title’s hungover.”
So I rage-ate some chips and prayed to the onedrive cloud,
My PDF won’t open. I screamed… out loud.

Formatting Hell: A Memoir in Free Verse

I thought importing a Word doc
would be simple.
Just CTRL + C, CTRL + V.
Easy. Peasy.

Even…lemon squeasy.

Then Kindle
turned my paragraph breaks
into a n spattered s p a c e d

mess
My images
migrated to the top of the page
like penguins heading north for winter.
The title page
had opinions,
That differed from mine.

rebellion.

Page numbers?
They exist in my mind only.

Cover Designer’s Lament

(A limerick)

A gal thought her cover was sleek,
‘Til Kindle said, “Nope. Fix. Then tweak.”
The spine was too thick,
“This was supposed to be quick,“
Now she cries into Canva each week.

The Final Click

(A motivational spoken-word poem performed under a single spotlight)

I did it.
I hit “Publish.”
Tears in my eyes,

Will it sell?
Will it flop?
Will I check the dashboard
twice a day
for three weeks
and then forget I even wrote it?

Yes.
Yes, I will.
And I’ll do it again,
because I’m a KDP author.
And I thrive
on chaos.

(Or so I tell myself)

In Conclusion…

If you’re about to upload your first book to Kindle Direct Publishing, just know you’re not alone. Your margins may be askew and cause you to weep. Your soul may briefly exit your body when the previewer crashes for the fifth time. But you’ll live to publish again.

And hey, once you’ve cried it out and your book is live, you get to do the most magical thing of all: click “View on Amazon” and text your friends, “Look, I’m famous.”

You earned this, you formatting fighter, you.

Oh and my book is live now!

Click here to check it out.

A note- the title was changed in the second to last draft. From The Cottage, Christ, & Me, to Featherlight Faith.

Alright! That’s it! Thanks for reading!

Worldbuilding Mad Libs: Create a Fantasy Kingdom on the Spot

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

🏰 Create a Kingdom on the Spot

Welcome to the silliest way to build a fantasy kingdom: where you fill in the blanks and accidentally come up with a setting you might actually want to use.

Grab a pen, your imagination, and maybe a snack if you want to stay for awhile. You’re about to crown a ruler, start a minor rebellion, and possibly invent a highly controversial cheese.

✍️ Step 1: Fill in These Blanks

Before you scroll down, jot down the following:

  1. A color
  2. An adjective that sounds kind of insulting
  3. A made-up material (e.g., moonstone, ghostwood, breadite)
  4. A verb ending in “ing”
  5. Something you’d find in a kitchen
  6. A natural disaster
  7. A food that’s controversial
  8. A weird hobby
  9. A job title that sounds fake
  10. A very serious animal
  11. Something you’d shout in a moment of triumph
  12. A number
  13. A random bodily function

👑 Step 2: Insert into This Kingdom Description

Welcome to the Kingdom of [1]ia, a proud land known for its [2] traditions and abundant [3] deposits. The locals can often be found [4] while balancing [5] on their heads — a sacred rite passed down for generations.

The kingdom was founded shortly after the Great [6] of Year [12], when the ancient warlords of the land finally agreed on one thing: their shared love of [7]. This delicacy is now considered a national treasure, although it’s banned in all neighboring realms due to “moral reasons.”

At the heart of the capital city stands the Royal Spire, home to the ruling monarch — High [9] [10] the Third, who ascended the throne after defeating a rival in a fierce competition of [8].

Each year, citizens gather for the Grand Festival of [13], where the streets overflow with song, dance, and slightly confused livestock. The celebration ends with the ceremonial shout of “[11]!” echoing through the valley.

Come for the [3], stay for the [7], and beware the roaming bands of [10]s that guard the border with alarming enthusiasm.

🧠 Step 3: Reflect on the Chaos that has taken place on your page (In other words, Brainstorm)

Now that you’ve got your kingdom… ask yourself:

  • Could this be expanded into a full country or region?
  • What kind of people would live here?
  • Why is [7] banned in neighboring kingdoms?
  • Who would want to overthrow High [9] [10] the Third?
  • What actually happens at the Festival of [13]?

Silly beginnings can turn into rich, layered stories. Humor lowers the stakes and sparks your creativity — so let yourself go off the rails and see what sticks!

🗺️ Bonus Challenge:

Draw a quick, scribbly map of [1]ia. Label:

  • A mountain made of [3]
  • A cursed forest full of [10]s
  • A border town famous for [5]-juggling

And there you have it, friends! Feel free to share your creations in the comments and let me know if you’d like more writer mad libs! Take care!

Writing Advice I’d Give to My 15-Year-Old Fanfiction-creating Self

~ Brooke F. ~ 2 Comments

AKA: Yes, You Should Write That Cringy Avatar Fanfic

Oh, 15-year-old me. Curled up on the family desktop after school, typing out wildly dramatic plotlines where a girl finds out she has the powers to control all 4 natural elements who is definitely just me in disguise. You were doing your best. And honestly? You were onto something.

There are so many things I’d tell you if I could. Not because you were doing it all wrong but because I now understand just how right it was, even when it felt like complete and utter nonsense at the time. And just plain cringy to high school me. Forgive her sneering at your work.

So here it is. A letter of sorts. From the grown-up you, to the one who stayed up too late posting on fanfiction forums and thinking no one would ever take her seriously:

1. Don’t Delete Anything. Seriously.
I know. You want to. It feels so cringe. You reread your old stories and immediately want to toss your laptop into the nearest volcano. Resist the urge.

Every awkward sentence and every overly dramatic plot twist is proof you are a writer. You were writing! You were learning! You were creating! That “bad” writing? That’s the compost that future stories grow in. Keep the files. Keep the notebooks. Keep the Wattpad drafts. One day, you’ll look back and smile and maybe even reuse a line or a character name you forgot you loved.

2. Don’t Be So Self-Conscious
No one is watching you as closely as you think. You’re allowed to be messy, weird, experimental, emotional. That’s the whole point. It’s not a performance. It’s an outlet, a joy, a spark. Let yourself be fully into it, cringe and all.

And no, writing doesn’t have to become your job for it to be “real.” It can be a hobby. Or A side hustle. Or a comfort you come back to on the hard days.

3. Writing Is Still Hard But Worth It
Spoiler alert: You don’t magically “arrive.” Writing as an adult still feels hard sometimes. There are days you’ll doubt your talent, feel stuck, get jealous of someone else’s book deal. But the satisfaction of weaving a story is still present. The joy of a sentence that feels perfect or a character who surprises you? Still as sweet. You didn’t grow out of it. You grew with it.

4. Fanfiction Is Valid.
Fanfic taught you how to write dialogue, how to build tension, how to stick with and finish things. You learned pacing from serialized chapters, developed character arcs by borrowing from established ones, and stayed consistent because people in the comments said “update soon!” That’s gold.

So yes. Write the cringy Avatar the Last Airbender fanfic. Make it 100K words if you want. You’re learning how to tell stories.

5. Keep the Dream but Let It Change
You still dream of writing full time. And that dream is still alive, still beautiful and even still something worth chasing. But your life isn’t on pause just because it hasn’t happened yet. Every piece you write now—every blog post, poem, unfinished story is part of a rich, creative life. You’re doing it already, me. You’re already a writer.

So to my 15-year-old fanfiction self:
You didn’t waste your time.
You weren’t silly (ok maybe a little but it’s ok and acceptable).

Keep going. And yes. Your OC definitely was the Avatar and was so totally unique. She saved the world too. The readers voted (me). It’s canon now.

If My Writing Projects Were Houseplants: A Survival Report

~ Brooke F. ~ 5 Comments

Some people keep spreadsheets to track their writing projects. I, however, prefer chaos and absolutely unnecessary metaphors. So today, I bring you a survival report from the windowsill of my brain, where my various book projects live like needy houseplants (many desperate for water and fertilizer). Some are thriving. Some are shedding leaves. One may be compost by now. Come on inside, dear reader and let’s check in, shall we?

1. The Cottagecore Christian Poetry Book (Christ, The Cottage, & Me)
Status: Vibrantly alive. Blooming. Green as can be.

This one is my thriving fiddle leaf fig. You know, the dramatic kind that requires attention and soft lighting but rewards you with beauty if you treat it right. I’ve been misting this plant faithfully for months (aka actually editing and writing consistently), and it’s nearly ready to be potted in something final and pretty. And let me tell you, I’m SO ready to enjoy the blooms. It’s the narrative poetry book about a girl in a cottage who shares daily life with Jesus. Cozy? Yes. Spiritual? Also yes. Almost finished? YOU BET. I’m just fussing with the final leaves before I give it a name tag and place it on the shelf with pride. It serves as proof that I CAN have a green thumb sometimes when I actually try and remember to water it.

2. The “Living Alone” Book
Status: That one houseplant that’s… still alive? Technically?

Ah, this one. My little pothos in a cup of water. Not potted. Not dead. Just vibing in a state of suspended existence. This book started as a collection of tips, thoughts, and odd anecdotes from when I first moved out on my own. It’s half finished and half “maybe I’ll come back to this when inspiration strikes or I feel the urge to talk about the time I cried while assembling Amazon furniture.” It’s hanging out on the kitchen counter of my mind, roots growing slowly. Might thrive. Might not. Who knows? It’s future is undetermined at the moment.

3. The Lighthouse Girl Poetry Book
Status: Seedling. In the germination station. Do not disturb.

I don’t want to say much yet, but let’s just say something tender and glowing is sprouting. It’s the spiritual sequel to the cottagecore book, but this one takes place by the sea. That’s all I’ll say. Don’t crowd it. It’s very delicate. It knows when it’s being watched.

4. The Fairytale Mystery Novel (SNOW)
Status: Dormant. Possibly in cryogenic freeze.

SNOW was a burst of ambition of mine. A fairytale mystery with plot, twists, and actual chapters. I wrote a full draft, then a second half-draft, and then I stared at it like a succulent that’s gone leggy and weird. The story is technically there, but it needs pruning, restructuring, and maybe a resurrection spell. Honestly, I’ve emotionally moved on. Will I come back to it in five years and think, “Oh, this isn’t bad”? Possibly. Will I do it tomorrow? Not likely. I’m not watering it. But I haven’t tossed it in the compost heap either.

And that’s it!

So there you have it: a tour through my little greenhouse of stories. Some are thriving under gentle care. Some are barely hanging on. One is humming a sea shanty. And one has been wrapped in a blanket and placed in storage like a tulip bulb.

If you’re also a writer with a shelf of plant-like projects, just know: survival is subjective. Growth is sneaky. And sometimes, a half-forgotten draft flowers when you least expect it. 🌿

List of Plot Twists

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Few things are more satisfying in a story than a well-executed plot twist. The kind that makes readers gasp, flip back a few pages, or text their friends in all caps. A great twist doesn’t just shock. When done CORRECTLY it deepens the story, redefines characters, or forces the audience to see events in a new light. But how do you craft a twist that doesn’t feel forced, cheap, or predictable?

The key to a successful plot twist is planting subtle clues throughout your story while keeping the big reveal hidden until just the right moment. Below is a list of plot twists you can use, adapt, or mix into your writing to keep readers on their toes. I will reiterate though that plot twists need to be BUILT into a story. They’re not supposed to be cheap punches to invoke a response from your reader. Pacing is everything. Clues are everything. Hints are everything. The devil is literally in the details! Anyways, enough precursors and disclaimers. I trust you with my list of plot-twists. (I’m assuming you’re a big kid writer who knows exactly what you’re doing! Don’t all writers know exactly what they’re doing ahaha….)

Classic Identity Twists

  • The protagonist is actually the villain but doesn’t realize it.
  • A trusted ally was working against the hero all along.
  • The villain is secretly related to the protagonist.
  • The protagonist’s memories have been altered or erased.
  • The main character isn’t who they think they are—a clone, an imposter, or someone else entirely.

Revelations About the Past

  • A seemingly minor character was the true mastermind behind everything.
  • A past event didn’t happen the way everyone remembers.
  • The protagonist was unknowingly responsible for a tragedy.
  • The villain is actually seeking revenge for something the hero did.
  • The hero was lied to about their origins or purpose.

Unexpected Alliances & Betrayals

  • The hero and villain must work together to stop a greater threat.
  • A sworn enemy turns out to be a long-lost friend.
  • The mentor figure betrays the protagonist at a crucial moment.
  • A character thought to be dead is alive—and has switched sides.
  • The sidekick was the real hero all along.

Reality-Shifting Twists

  • Everything was a simulation, test, or dream—but the consequences are real.
  • The story is actually taking place in a different time period or world than initially believed.
  • The narrator has been unreliable, misleading the audience the whole time.
  • Magic or supernatural elements exist in what was thought to be a realistic setting.
  • The protagonist is not the first version of themselves—they’ve been replaced, cloned, or resurrected before.

Unexpected Outcomes

  • The villain wins, and the hero must find a way to live with it.
  • The big battle never happens because the conflict was a misunderstanding.
  • The supposed chosen one is a fraud—or the real chosen one is someone else.
  • The hero gets what they wanted but realizes it wasn’t what they needed.
  • The villain was never actually evil—just misunderstood or manipulated.

Final Thoughts

And here is the conclusion where I restate my hypothesis-er, intro I mean. A great plot twist isn’t just about shocking your readers. It should enhance the story, add emotional weight, and feel earned. By layering foreshadowing and character depth, you can craft twists that will surprise without feeling random. Do you have a favorite plot twist from a book or movie? Or have you written one you’re especially proud of? Share it in the comments! I love reading everything everyone has to share.

K byeeeee!