What to Do When You Have Characters, But No Plot

Whew. It’s been a while. But here it is. The giant list of plot ideas.

When I first sat down to write this, I couldn’t find anything on Google that was similar to what I wanted. I didn’t want a list of writing prompts. I wanted a list of story goals.

Once I realized that I wasn’t going to find it, I decided to make my own.

This list assumes that you already have a vague story idea. Maybe you have some characters, or a story world, but you don’t have a plot for it.

Well, my friend, I am here to help.

This is probably the longest article I’ve ever written for fun, so if you find it helpful, please share the link with your writing friends. It really makes a difference and I want this to help as many people as possible!

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How to Choose a Story Goal

The most powerful story goals are the ones that are physical. When you’re coming up with a story goal, always figure out the answers to these questions:

• Could I take a photograph of the exact moment when the story goal is accomplished? (For example, you could take a picture of Frodo destroying the One Ring. But you can’t take a photo of someone learning how to love themselves.)
• Where is the danger coming from? You want a story goal that has external danger. The conflict should not be all in the main character’s head. There should be another antagonist causing trouble for them. (Even stories that literally take place in the character’s head, like “Alice in Wonderland” or “The Wizard of Oz,” have an external source of danger.)
• Can this danger get worse over time? How much can you raise the stakes?

Once you figure out the answers to those questions, you have everything you need to create a strong story goal.

Plot Categories

There are several different types of story plots:

1. War, civil war, or revolution
2. Politics
3. Love
4. Self improvement
5. Magical items
6. Magical powers
7. Survival against nature
8. Survival against an enemy
9. Win a tournament
10. Commit a crime
11. Return home
12. Family issues

That’s a lot of categories, so let’s unpack each one and look at a couple of examples.

1. War

When you have a war-based plot, you have to remember what makes your main character special.
In a battle with hundreds or thousands of soldiers, why is this person the main character? Why do we see the entire story through their eyes?

Also, consider the justification. If they lead an army, or start a revolution, what makes their side feel justified?

Your story should never have one side that’s pure good and a side that’s pure evil. So make sure to blur the lines a little bit.

Maybe the bad guys are fighting for a horrible cause, but the soldiers are very kind to women and children. Or the good guys are good on the outside, but on the inside, they’re all power hungry monsters.

War Plot Ideas:

• MC is forced to fight in a war, and they have never fought before. They must learn how to survive until they can go back home.
• MC is a spy behind enemy lines, and they need to keep their identity secret until they can complete their mission.
• MC is the leader of an army, and they must defend their nation against an invasion.
• MC has knowledge that they shouldn’t have, like knowledge of an approaching enemy. They have to warn the others before it’s too late. Problem is, nobody believes them.
• MC must single-handedly stir up the people and start a revolution.

2. Politics

When you’re working with a political story goal that doesn’t involve war, the story will probably center around personal power. How much power can your main character collect? Is it enough to reach their goals?

You can often combine these plots with stories set at work or school. Children and teenagers can have advanced hierarchy systems, and playgrounds or after school programs can quickly devolve into school based politics. Same with stories that take place at work.

With these plots, remember to ask, “Where is the danger coming from?”

You may need to add a higher element of physical danger to keep the story from slowing down.

Maybe the politics get ugly, and someone starts sending anonymous threats to the MC. Or the politics grow more and more violent as the story goes on.

Politics Plot Ideas:

• MC is running for office. It could be the presidential office or a city council position. They must win the election.
• MC is trying to pass a new law or ordinance, but they face a lot more resistance than they expected.
• MC is trying to get a promotion at work, but their boss heavily favors another candidate.
• MC is closely related to someone that’s running for office. (For example, they are married to the presidential candidate.) Then they get involved in a scandal, and they have to fix it before it ruins the election numbers.
• MC already holds a position of power, but they don’t have the respect of their people. The new ruler must show that they are dedicated to the people, when a disaster strikes.
• MC must prove themselves better than someone else at school or work, in order to gain friends or popularity.

3. Love

I will be honest, I’m not good at writing romance. In my stories, most of the characters are either single or going through a painful breakup. So to spare you, I’m not going to give advice on how to write romance.

These plot ideas might work better for a short story or novella. However, a lot of romance novels have very low conflict plots. With a little work, you could make any of these plots into a full-length novel.

Love Plot Ideas:

• MC must find a date before a certain event. Maybe they want a wedding date, or their family is pressuring them to bring someone to Thanksgiving dinner.
• MC is sure of their sexuality, until they meet someone who makes them question everything all over again.
• MC is falling for the villain, against their better judgment. Do they ignore their feelings, or their morals?
• MC is trying to get out of the friend zone, because they’ve caught feelings for their friend. The goal can either be to make it to the second date, or to kiss them.
• MC starts to catch feelings for a character who is very obviously off limits. They must decide if they want to pursue this character, or go for someone else.

4. Self Improvement

Self improvement, also called “man who learned better,” can be one of the trickiest plot types to write.

You’ll need a good balance of internal conflict and external danger. There has to be external reasons for this person to change.

For example, in the film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey is depressed because he feels stuck in Bedford Falls. That’s not enough external danger.

Then he is threatened with bankruptcy and scandal because his bank loses $8,000. Better, but still not enough.

Finally, he goes “crawling to Potter,” the worst man in town, asking for money. Instead of helping him, Potter calls in a warrant for his arrest. That’s a good amount of external danger. Now he’s on the run from the cops, and he wants to end his life, and that’s where the self improvement plot gets started.

If you’re writing a self improvement plot, it’s so important to remember that snapshot moment. Can you take a picture of the exact moment the character’s life changes? What kind of picture would represent that?

Self Improvement Plot Ideas:

• MC goes through a traumatic event and is struggling to recover. They want to have their own place, get an animal, and feel happy again.
• MC is struggling with an addiction. They must quit and start turning their life around.
• MC is involved in a terrible accident, leaving them physically handicapped. They want to gain some of their mobility back, so they can enjoy the things they used to do.
• MC is told they must change themselves for love, work, or the family’s reputation. They must decide if they’ll comply to please their family, or if they’ll sacrifice the love/work/reputation.

5. Magical Items

This is a standard of the fantasy genre. Magical items can be lost, found, bought, transported, and destroyed to your heart’s content.

When you’re dealing with magical items, remember to show exactly why this item is so important.

The dark lord made it? So what? How does it affect the average citizen to the point where they must destroy it?

Or if they need to find it, why hasn’t someone found it before? What makes the MC qualified to go on this mission?

Thankfully, magical items are an easy plot type, as long as you figure out the reason why the MC wants this item. The snapshot moment is either when they find the item, or when they destroy the item.

• Keep in mind, just because something is evil, does not make your MC qualified to destroy it. Unless you’re writing middle grade fiction, where all children are indestructible.

Your MC should have some deep reason for wanting the magical item, as well as the strength or qualification to wield it.

If you’ve watched “Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness,” Wanda is a good example of that. She has a reason, and she has the power to wield the magical item.

Magical Items Plot Ideas:

• MC needs to find the magical item, so they can cross the barrier between life and death.
• MC needs to destroy a magic item before the villain can get to it.
• MC needs to find the magical item, because it can grant them immortality and they are in extreme danger.
• MC must collect as many of a certain magical item as they can, in order to increase their power. The villain is trying to collect them at the same time.
• MC needs to move a magical artifact to a secure location before it is destroyed by someone else.
• MC has to convince a large group of people that a seemingly mundane artifact is actually magical, so they won’t just get rid of it.
• MC needs to collect magical ingredients in order to make a potion.
• MC needs to get rid of a magical item temporarily, before they get caught with it, but they need to keep it close by in order to use its power.
• MC keeps trying to get rid of a magic item, but it keeps returning to them.

6. Magical Powers

Magical powers are a combination between magical items and self help. These stories usually deal with getting new powers, keeping power when it malfunctions, or losing powers that are destructive.
With magical powers, how can you tell if the story is over?

One thing I like to recommend is having the MC master a specific magical skill. For example, during the entire story, they struggle with opening a portal. But at the end, it finally clicks together, and they can create and close a portal.

Magical powers can also be unwanted.

If you go with this route, make sure there is a good reason for your character to not want their powers.

Being slightly embarrassed about your glowing hands is not enough external motivation to destroy your own powers. Being hunted by a supervillain might cause you to rethink your powers, but would it be enough to make you get rid of them?

If your MC wants to get rid of their powers, make sure their motivation is both internal (hating their powers) and external (causing harm through their powers).

Magical Powers Plot Ideas:

• MC wants to gain magical powers, but in order to get them, they must pay a heavy price.
• MC has painful or uncontrollable powers, and they need to avoid triggering them until they can get professional help. (A twist: their professional help is no help at all.)
• MC wants to get rid of their powers, but by removing their powers, they also remove a part of their soul.
• MC has powers, but during a quest or a battle, the powers malfunction.
• MC discovers they have powers, and they want to learn how to control them.

7. Survival Against Nature

There are more ways to battle nature than just surviving after a shipwreck.

For these stories, make sure to do your research. You can research before you write, or while you write. But it really isn’t a good idea to save your research until the end.

What if you get to the end of the story, and then realize that humans can’t eat the plants that would grow in this climate? Or you learn that one arrow probably isn’t enough to kill a deer?

Research is important for stories where nature is the antagonist, because you don’t want to base your whole story around something that wouldn’t actually work.

Also, don’t be afraid to include multiple characters in your survival story. Sure, it may be more intense if your MC is marooned on an island by themselves. But you can have a small group of characters who are all lost and working together.

Survival Against Nature Plot Ideas:

• MC is lost in the woods or at sea, and they must survive until they find their way home..
• MC was kicked out of their home, and now they are homeless in terrible weather, like a severe winter storm or a hurricane.
• MC is the lone survivor of a natural disaster, such as a tsunami or tornado.
• MC is marooned on a desert island.
• MC is a search and rescue person, who must brave the elements to find someone that is lost.

8. Survival Against an Enemy

This is one of the oldest plot types in history.

The enemy in question might be another character, or it could be a supernatural being like a demon or a ghost. It could even be a vengeful god.

With these plots, make sure to cement your MC against this enemy, so we know they can’t just walk away.

Why is the enemy pursuing them? And why can’t the MC just leave?

Survival Against an Enemy Plot Ideas:

• MC is being chased, either by the law or a hitman.
• MC witnessed a horrific crime, and now they are being pursued by whoever (or whatever) wants them to stay quiet.
• MC is in a position of leadership, and the crew threatens to start a mutiny.
• MC has to defeat a bully, who starts getting physical.
• MC discovers that their house is haunted, and they can’t escape.
• MC falls into the hands of an evil villain and must use their charm and common sense to stay alive until help comes for them.

9. Win a Tournament

This could be a high school basketball tournament, or a gladiator fight to the death.

This plot type works best if you combine it with more internal motivators.

Don’t forget, the external motivation is already there. The MC wants to win the tournament. But what emotions drive them to do this? What is their personal reason for doing this?

Win a Tournament Plot Ideas:

• MC wants to win a tournament in order to gain one wish from the king.
• MC must win a tournament, because they need the prize money to pay for food or medicine.
• MC wants to win a sports tournament in order to impress their crush.
• MC wants to win a sports tournament so they can win their parents’ approval.
• MC is thrust into a deadly tournament against their will, and they must survive long enough to speak to the person in charge. The winner gets to see the tournament mastermind.
• MC must lose the tournament, because they don’t want to go against their sibling / crush / someone else they care about.

10. Commit a Crime

When you have a character who’s trying to commit a crime, you need to figure out if they’re the hero, the villain, or something else.

Is their crime something that is morally wrong? Or is it a crime only because of an unjust law that makes it a crime?

If the MC is trying to commit murder, we shouldn’t be cheering them on. We can be invested in the story, but you shouldn’t spend too much time making this character likable. Most people won’t like a murderer.

However, if the MC is breaking an unjust law, we might see them as a hero. Think of Robin Hood– he was an outlaw in the eyes of the sheriff, but he helped take care of the common people. By and large, he’s still considered a hero.

The main goal here is to not get caught.

Commit a Crime Plot Ideas:

• MC is trying to get away with murder.
• MC needs to get money fast, either for medicine, food, or some other basic need. They decide to commit a crime.
• MC needs to break inside a highly secured area to neutralize a threat, but they don’t have access to this area, and nobody believes their stories.
• MC has to figure out a way to tamper with evidence, either by planting fake evidence, or destroying very real evidence, without getting caught.
• MC is causing a distraction by committing smaller crimes, in order to distract authorities from their friends, who are planning the largest scale crime in history.

11. Return Home

This plot type is very easy for readers to connect with.

However, if the main goal is for the character to get home, there should be some doubt. It’s not as easy as plugging the address into Google Maps. There needs to be a reason why they can’t just come home.

Return Home Plot Ideas:

• MC is time traveling, or traveling through multiple worlds, and they get lost. They must find their world so they can go back home.
• MC gets kidnapped, and they must escape and go back to their family.
• MC is traveling via magic, when their magic malfunctions and they are stranded.
• (see Survival Against Nature Plot Ideas)

12. Family Issues

Marital issues and sibling conflicts and emotional trauma, oh my!

Family issues are, unfortunately, a problem for most people. Whether it’s problems between the parents, an abusive family member, or just the struggles of living with siblings, we can all relate to these stories on some level.

I actually wrote a list of writing prompts about siblings on my website, and you’re welcome to look through that list for ideas. However, those are more lighthearted, and they might not be enough of a plot for a whole story.

If you’re going to write a story about family issues, my advice would be to do your research, especially if you’re dealing with tough topics like abuse. You don’t want to accidentally romanticize an abusive relationship or family dynamic.

Family Issues Plot Ideas

• MC has a troubled sibling, or they are the troubled sibling, and it’s putting a lot of strain on the family dynamics. They need to fix it before things get too far out of hand.
• MC finds their partner has been cheating on them, but they decide to stick together and work it out.
• MC is going through a messy divorce, and they need to get custody of their child(ren).
• MC is stuck in an abusive home, and needs to escape.
• MC watches their relative turn to the dark side, and they must try to get them back, without getting sucked in themselves.
• MC’s sibling has disappeared, and they must rescue them and bring them home safely.

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That’s it for now! Hope this article helps you come up with some stories for all those characters. 🙂

What’s the plot of your current WIP? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading, and I’ll be back next time with a new post. <33

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