Story Ideas About Revenge and More

Story Ideas About Revenge

1) Believing that his/her spouse has been unfaithful, your character takes revenge. Too late, your character discovers that s/he had misunderstood the situation, and his/her spouse hasn't been cheating at all. Can s/he repair the damage s/he has done and save his/her marriage?

2) The police suspect your character of having committed a crime. Your character is innocent, but so much evidence points to him/her that your character is certain that he/she has been set up. But who has done this, and why? And how can your character prove his/her innocence?

3) Angry that s/he hasn't been invited to a classmate's party, your teenaged character begins a rumor about the classmate, which quickly spreads out of control. Now your character doesn't know what to do. He/she had never intended to ruin anyone's life, but it looks like that's what's going to happen if s/he doesn't find a way to stop the lie s/he has started...

4) Years ago, your character had an ugly breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Now, this ex-boyfriend or girlfriend has moved back to town and is plotting revenge against your character. The first step in his/her plan is to destroy your character's current relationship...

Story Ideas About Gifts

1) As a holiday gift, your character's new boyfriend/girlfriend gives him/her a beautiful painting. Your character is delighted and immediately hangs it in a place of honor on his/her wall. But when reading the newspaper several days later, s/he is surprised to see a photograph of the same painting along with an article about a recent museum robbery...

2) As a holiday gift, someone gives your character a cat. Your character doesn't want a cat, so s/he drops it off at a local animal shelter. But the next morning, when your character wakes up, s/he finds the cat waiting on his/her doorstep. Is it your character's imagination, or is the cat glaring at him/her with an almost human intelligence, as if it hates him/her and is plotting revenge?

3) Your character's in-laws are incredibly nosy and intrusive and seem to have no sense of personal boundaries. Fortunately for your character, they live on the other side of the country, and your character only has to deal with them once a year, when the family gets together for the holidays. But this year, the in-laws make a surprise announcement. They have bought a house in your character's town. And they have a special present for your character and his/her spouse -- the house next door!

4) Your character receives a mysterious gift in the mail. There is no card or return address -- your character doesn't know who it's from. Inside the package is a plane ticket in your character's name to an exotic location (you can choose where). Who has sent it, and why? Your character has been wanting a getaway and is tempted to go, although s/he notices there is no return ticket...

5) "I got this for you," your character's spouse says as s/he hands your character a gun. "I have the feeling you're going to be needing it."

6) At your character's office, there's a "Secret Santa" tradition where everyone draws a coworker’s name to give that person a holiday gift. Out of pure luck, your character draws the name of a coworker she's secretly in love with. She's always assumed that this coworker was out of her league and she didn't have a chance with him. But now she has the idea that if she can only find the perfect gift, maybe she can make him fall in love with her too...

7) Soon after your character begins a new job, his boss gives him a surprising gift -- the keys to a new sports car. Of course, your character is thrilled at the idea of having a sports car, but this car is worth more than his annual salary, and he wonders why his boss is giving it to him… and what will be expected in return...

8) Your character's new boyfriend has been giving her beautiful gifts, especially clothing. At first, your character is pleased (although many of the clothes are one size too small), but then she starts noticing signs that they have been worn by someone else. In particular, there's a certain lilac perfume that seems to be clinging to some of them...

9) Someone gives your character a small vial containing a mysterious blue liquid. No explanation is offered, only that the gift is to be used "in case of an emergency".

Happy Endings Gone Wrong

1) Your character marries the man of her dreams. But as soon as they're married, he drastically changes. He seems to be a completely different person from the one she thought she knew. His behavior toward her is also different -- he suddenly shows no interest in her at all. It's as if he was putting on an act before, and now he no longer has to pretend.. But why? Who is he really, and what does he want with her?

2) Your character has just bought the house of her dreams. Now that she has so much extra space, her parents ask if they can come live with her. Your character had a difficult childhood and can barely make it through a holiday meal with her parents without a fight breaking out. But her father is having health problems, and she doesn't feel as if she can say no...

3) Your character has just won the lottery. Hooray! But the day after the news about his sudden wealth appears in the local paper, his son never comes home from school. And the day after that, he receives a ransom note demanding a million dollars, which he is to deliver personally at midnight in an isolated spot just outside of town. "Come alone," the note warns, "and tell no one." Your character is terrified for his son and wants to follow the kidnappers' instructions. The problem is that he doesn't have the money -- the lottery payout won't be made for another week...

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