Designing Your Character & Other Handy Things

What Happens Next??

Not sure what should happen next in your story? Are things getting boring?

Raymond Carver offered this advice to writers: "When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand."

Depending on your story, that's certainly one option. Here are twenty others.

1. An ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend shows up in your character's town.

2. Your character gets lost on the way somewhere. And ends up someplace more interesting.

3. The phone rings. Heavy breathing on the other end. Then the connection is cut.

4. A relative your character doesn't get along with shows up on your character's doorstep.

5. Your character becomes physically attracted to someone inappropriate.

6. Someone cries for help.

7. The police suddenly show up and arrest your character.

8. Your character gets a job offer that would require him/her to make dramatic lifestyle changes.

9. Someone your character thought was a friend or ally suddenly turns against him or her.

10. A rock is thrown through a window.

11. Someone starts flirting with your character's romantic partner or potential romantic partner.

12. A dead body turns up.

13. Your character accidentally takes home the wrong purse/jacket/briefcase/phone and finds something interesting in the one s/he takes.

14. Someone suddenly proposes marriage.

15. Your character's home gets flooded and s/he has to find somewhere to stay. S/he ends up someplace interesting.

16. Someone gets drunk and says something s/he shouldn't.

17. Your character notices a stranger staring at him/her.

18. Your character discovers that his/her home/bedroom/desk/computer has been searched.

19. Someone discovers she's pregnant.

20. Someone tries to convince your character to do exactly the opposite of what she/he has been doing so far in the story. This person makes a very persuasive argument.