Warning about that 'Plot Twist Generator' app I bought last month

I spent $15 on it thinking it would help with my short story block, but the ideas were all super basic stuff like 'the friend was the villain' or 'it was a dream'. I could have gotten better prompts from a free Reddit thread in five minutes. Has anyone found a tool that actually gives unique twists for mystery writing?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jason2d ago

Oh man, I feel your pain on that one. I tried a couple of those apps and got the same tired results. What finally worked for me was just reading the weirdest, most out there news articles I could find. Local papers are great for bizarre real life events you can twist into a plot. I also started keeping a simple list on my phone whenever a strange "what if" thought popped into my head during the day. Those two things built a way better idea bank than any app I paid for.

shanel132d ago

But honestly those apps are fine for a quick jump start... sometimes you just need a basic prompt to get the gears turning. It's not about using their exact idea, it's about sparking something in your own head. Paying a few bucks to save time staring at a blank page can be worth it.

henry5972d ago

My own plot twist was buying that same app and expecting anything new. @the_jason has the right idea with the weird news stories. I started doing that and it's way better. Those apps just recycle the same five ideas from old TV shows. You're better off writing down your own weird thoughts or looking at strange facts. It takes a bit more work but you actually get something you can use.