Plot Hooks Flashcards

Question

Beginnings

Answer 1

A main character clearly is in big trouble.

Answer 2

A main character is in the hospital.

Answer 3

A main character sees a house or a city for the first time.

Answer 4

A plane, ship, or train arrives.

Answer 5

A plane, ship, or train departs.

Answer 6

Someone gets amazing news.

Answer 7

Someone gets devastating news.

Answer 8

Someone goes on a date.

Answer 9

The main character breaks up with someone or is dumped.

Answer 10

A scene at a party, a bar, or a nightclub.

Answer 11

An all-out battle scene.

Answer 12

A character moves to a new place.

Answer 13

A dramatic moment in the middle or the end of the story.

Answer 14

Someone is arrested.

Answer 15

A courtroom trial.

Answer 16

A job interview.

Answer 17

A main character gets fired from a job.

Answer 18

A chase scene.

Answer 19

Characters wait for another character.

Answer 20

A visitor shows up at the door.

Answer 21

A busy street scene.

Answer 22

A character or characters get dressed, shave, put makeup on, or do their hair.

Answer 23

A character commits a crime.

Answer 24

A character or characters do a job.

Answer 25

One character teaches another how to do something.

Answer 26

Character or characters prepare to sit down to eat a meal.

Answer 27

A main character comes across a significant object.

Answer 28

Someone teaches or attends class.

Answer 29

Someone attends a church service.

Answer 30

A main character is in a triumphant situation.

Answer 31

Someone unwraps a gift.

Answer 32

A birthday party.

Answer 33

They aren't happy about being left at home to run the castle when they go off to war...and she winds up leading the biggest battle of all.

Answer 34

Once every 1000 yrs., the phoenixes catch fire, burn to ash, and are reborn again from their own ashes. Contrary to legend, they aren't birds, but humanoid creatures.

Answer 35

A fae, giant, and a gnome walk into a tavern.

Answer 36

A woman survives being struck by lightning, but it left a map burned onto her back.

Answer 37

The mermaids are empaths who find it hard to resist the urge to sing about the desires of any human nearby.

Answer 38

This hideous monster is pretty nice when u get to know them.

Answer 39

The birth of twins was considered bad luck in their country, so their father ordered their twin to be killed at birth. Someone disobeyed the order, and their still alive.

Answer 40

The magical spell turned the hoard of gold & jewels into a living sparkling dragon.

Answer 41

A man is sent to kidnap the monarch's daughter, & things don't go according to plan.

Answer 42

The barbarian child from the north arrives at the school for priests.

Answer 43

A royal birth is usually a happy occasion, but this time it leads to disaster.

Answer 44

Their the zookeeper at a zoo for magical & mythological beasts.

Answer 45

The playwright didn't realize @ first that his plays predicted the future.

Answer 46

The monarch sent their child on the quest fully expected that the young person would get killed.

Answer 47

They command the fireflies.

Answer 48

This so-called school for wizards is a scam - no one can do magic. Until now.

Answer 49

Can they prevent civil war by betraying the person who's both their friend and their monarch.

Answer 50

Their looking for their siblings who were turned into wolves.

Answer 51

When one takes out the jewel, it absorbs all of the light within about a mile radius.

Answer 52

The fallen angel tries to get a second chance.

Answer 53

Too souls live within the same body.

Answer 54

Nobody wants to be the person whose foot fits into that slipper.

Answer 55

They call them the Master of Keys. Well, they call themselves that, anyway.

Answer 56

The potion poisons anyone who has just told the truth.

Answer 57

The hellhounds have been locked out of hell.

Answer 58

Their only magic is being able to weaken other people's spells.

Answer 59

This library is also a kind of arsenal.

Answer 60

A new virus with strange symptoms affects only one magical species.

Answer 61

Their voice magically compels everyone else to obey. Only one other person is unaffected.

Answer 62

Because of their unique parentage, they travel easily between the land of the living & the land of the dead.

Answer 63

Entrusting the quest to a couple of non-warriors turned out to b a terrible idea.

Answer 64

Anyone who touches the cursed river will die of thirst, no matter how much they drink.

Answer 65

Although humans don't know it, a certain biz or institution is run by a cadre of supernatural beings.

Answer 66

They were a minor deity once, but now their the only one left.

Answer 67

All emotions have specific scents to them.

Answer 68

2 warriors fight. One of them desperately wishes to avoid hurting the other.

Answer 69

The demon is in trouble for being disloyal.

Answer 70

The horses burst into flames.

Answer 71

This magical item erases the wearer's bad memories as soon as they r made.

Answer 72

They've got a good reason to bring the evil guy back to life.

Answer 73

Whoever they shoot with one of their arrows fall in love...with them.

Answer 74

Thunderstorms bring them power, which they lose gradually over long stretches of clear weather.

Answer 75

They believe a shocking act of bloodshed is needed to inspire an uprising.

Answer 76

The stature appeared in the middle of town & no one knows how it got there.

Answer 77

In this culture, one of the most profound bonds is between the steed & no one knows how it got there.

Answer 78

The weapon makes its owner invincible for a time, but will also b the death of its owner.

Answer 79

They r the spirits of the waterfall.

Answer 80

1 bone in their body once belonged to someone else.

Answer 81

When the woodsman cut down a tree, they freed a sprite imprisoned there.

Answer 82

In this land, exchanging wedding vows causes the couple to b able to hear one another's thoughts for the rest of their lives.

Answer 83

Any person who kills them will inherit their power.

Answer 84

Giant peacocks stand guard at the gate.

Answer 85

These walls do talk if u touch them in the right places.

Answer 86

They want to poison the sacred well.

Answer 87

A wizard's severed hands wields fearsome power, but only if it's willingly sacrificed to the owner.

Answer 88

Everyone thinks he's the Chosen One, but he's just a good liar.

Answer 89

This incense can mask any smell.

Answer 90

The only black market in the realm is on the open ocean.

Answer 91

They pretended to b dead to escape the 7 people in the woods.

Answer 92

A chieftain must sacrificed 1 of his warriors without telling him why.

Answer 93

They r able to cross the desert by taking the form of sandstorms.

Answer 94

The monarch decides their child is unworthy to inherit the throne because of 1 particular reason.

Answer 95

No one ventures here without a mask.

Answer 96

A so-called fool triumphs in battle over their enemies.

Answer 97

This plan will both appease a monster & rid the city of its undesirable residents.

Answer 98

The waters of this river will make anybody drunk.

Answer 99

The local police force actually knows all about their secret supernatural activities.

Answer 100

They recruit new servants among souls yet to b born.

Answer 101

Reincarnation is real, & they remember all their past lives...& their future ones, too.

Answer 102

The good witch had been under the impression that it was a good spell.

Answer 103

They break the oath. It was a stupid oath anyway.

Answer 104

Getting that particular ancient symbol tattooed on that particular place on their body has unforeseen consequences.

Answer 105

The hero's captors r surprisingly polite.

Answer 106

No human who has entered this cave has ever emerged alive again.

Answer 107

The angel is reluctant to deliver this message.

Answer 108

The problem with hobgoblin companions is that they love playing practical jokes.

Answer 109

A person offers to take their place @ the executioner's block despite being a complete stranger.

Answer 110

Party in the catacombs!

Answer 111

In the middle of a duel, the most embarrassing thing happens.

Answer 112

He called for all witches to b punished by death, not realizing his wife was one.

Answer 113

A rod that turns into a snake when thrown on the ground.

Answer 114

They don't know why that person can read the runes.

Answer 115

The curse was lifted from them, but they want it back.

Answer 116

They r from 2 diff, warring species, & they're falling in love.

Answer 117

They reveal their true identity: they r royalty. Nobody believes them.

Answer 118

As the 2 sit by the fire, 1 makes a shocking confession.

Answer 119

The gargoyles r no longer stone.

Answer 120

The servant of the cruel master accidentally murders them.

Answer 121

Why does this modern corp. have a necromancer on the payroll?

Answer 122

Oh, no. They forgot to take off the ring.

Answer 123

The myth of the Easter Bunny is based on a true story.

Answer 124

They have been indoctrinated in this magical cult since childhood, but now they have doubts.

Answer 125

Their armor has one special opening.

Answer 126

The magical sword was melted down to make various objects that r now scattered across the world.

Answer 127

This path changes course as u walk on it.

Answer 128

Some astounding things r for sale @ the goblin market.

Answer 129

They first suspects they is the incarnation of an ancient god.

Answer 130

A musician can kill, heal, or resurrect people with their songs.

Answer 131

People r committing surprising acts in their sleep.

Answer 132

This might cure the current plague...if it can b found.

Answer 133

A smuggler, mercenary, or thief takes down or helps take down an oppressive ruler or regime.

Answer 134

An attempt to rescue a friend, fam member, or lover will put a larger mission or cause in jeopardy.

Answer 135

A peasant, who may b good or evil, believes that a divine fig in a vision told her to lead an army to victory.

Answer 136

The ones who live in the bottom of the ocean come to the surface.

Answer 137

Someone can bring a person back to life by taking their place in the underworld.

Answer 138

A counterfeiter's coins or a forger's fake works of art become more valuable than the real thing for this one reason.

Answer 139

A warrior defects to the other side in hopes of bringing a costly war to a quicker resolution.

Answer 140

Anything becomes true if enough people believe in it deeply enough.

Answer 141

A person has been turned into an object by magic.

Answer 142

To open the door, a person must use a key whittled out of one of their own bones.

Answer 143

A person doesn't know why they have stopped aging.

Answer 144

After an archaeologist digs up an ancient treasure, the original owner shows up to take it back.

Answer 145

2 allies or 2 factions of the same army r tricked into attacking one another.

Answer 146

Miners discover stone spheres with strange markings.

Answer 147

Soldiers take souvenirs from their fallen enemies, which proves to b their downfall.

Answer 148

A person or group of people plot an escape or revolt against a forced marriage or a whole system of forced marriage.

Answer 149

Their magical powers don't work when their drunk.

Answer 150

The flowers from this garden r the most precious commodities in the realm...for a very good reason.

Answer 151

A vending machine dispenses some very particular items instead of Coke.

Answer 152

For this race of beings, the sense of smell is more important than vison of hearing.

Answer 153

They made a noble sacrifice, & now, as a ghost, they resent it.

Answer 154

They live on an island in the middle of a lava lake. It has advs & disadvantages.

Answer 155

For this society, battle is a religious observance.

Answer 156

This is the most pitiful excuse for a castle in all the land.

Answer 157

This so-called magical sword has turned out to be a piece of junk.

Answer 158

A beautiful unmanned ship sails itself into the harbor.

Answer 159

So many birds or butterflies migrate across this land that for days, it darkens the skies.

Answer 160

The land has been cursed to permanent darkness, daytime, fog, wind, or lightning strikes.

Answer 161

Sibling rivalry is intense when it's between 2 demigods.

Answer 162

At this auction, people r bidding a lot more than money.

Answer 163

They r the keeper of a hive of sentient bees.

Answer 164

A worker learns that the tower they r building will serve a much diff purpose than what they were all told.

Answer 165

Each person's spirit is connected to a particular tree in the forest.

Answer 166

They've been hiding in the catacombs for yrs.

Answer 167

They find the fossil or skeleton of a creature they'd assumed to b mythical.

Answer 168

The changeling thought they were human, but now they've been returned to their own kind.

Answer 169

A spirit possesses a human or animal body & is then unable to get out of it.

Answer 170

The river has a soul of its own.

Answer 171

The monarch ran away & is living under an assumed name.

Answer 172

They fought long & hard to bring this new monarch to the throne, & it turns out they're totally incompetent.

Answer 173

This muse inspires artists, writers, & musicians to great work, but when they leave, the creatives become so despondent they sometimes die.

Answer 174

They r assigned to b a bodyguard to someone on whom the fate of the world depends. The tricky part is, that person can never find out that's what they r really doing.

Answer 175

No one knows who made the Garden of Obelisks or what the stone pillars signify.

Answer 176

There r good things & bad things about having an invisible dog for a pet.

Answer 177

The leaves of this tree make great parachutes.

Answer 178

The evil ruler is forcing them to forge an ancient prophecy that foretells their glorious reign.

Answer 179

They find a century-old catalog, attempts to place an order, & succeeds.

Answer 180

The hero is killed halfway through, & the sidekick takes over.

Answer 181

All citizens r temporarily neutered @ birth. Would b parents must prove to the government that they'll be suitable caretakers & providers before they r allowed to procreate.

Answer 182

All marriages must b approved by a dept. of the gov, which analyzes massive amounts of data to predict the success of the union, its economic & social impact on society, the success of the union, its economic & social impact on society, the health & welfare of any children, & so on. It's such a hassle that many people opt for gov-arranged marriages instead.

Answer 183

Global warming prompts rapid mutations in the human species.

Answer 184

The world leaders broker a deal with the alien invaders that many see as unfair.

Answer 185

Humans have discovered a way to communicate directly with animals, & all the meat humans consume now is lab-created.

Answer 186

Extreme elective surgery is the societal norm, & humans undergo creative mods that include extra limbs, cartoon-like features, & so on.

Answer 187

Breeding modern humans with large amounts of Neanderthal DNA leads to interesting results.

Answer 188

In this world, Napoleon's army took over Australia, & her never lost at Waterloo. France took control of most of Europe, & WWI & WWII never happened.

Answer 189

An alien from a planet where no one else experiences empathy comes to live on Earth, believing they will fit in better there.

Answer 190

A drug that makes people non-confrontational has been added to the public water supply & to all beverages sold by major corporations.

Answer 191

The huge, thin sheets of material covering some trees & yards turn out to b discarded placentas.

Answer 192

A low-level employee in a bureaucratic gov office realizes the paperwork he files every day contains codes that determine other's fate.

Answer 193

A human & alien falls in love, causing an interplanetary crisis.

Answer 194

An alien doesn't know how to tell the humans they've become intimately involved with that they r an alien, even though they will find out soon enough.

Answer 195

High-speed robotic horses become a trendy alt to cars & weave through heavy traffic with ease.

Answer 196

Hunters track down fugitives who resisted vaccinations or implants.

Answer 197

Personal info, including patterns of behavior & psychological triggers, have never been easier to obtain. Corps synthesize & sell algorithms about consumers that make it easier than ever before to get them to buy goods & services.

Answer 198

Mars has been terraformed by dropping nukes on its poles, & the 1st human colonists have been assured that almost all of the radiation has escaped the atmosphere.