Random Plot Generator
The random plot generator builds a story idea from four parts: a character, a setting, a problem and a twist, with 12 options for each part in each of six genres. Choose a genre and press the button.
Updated
How the random plot generator builds a plot
A plot is the series of related events in a story. This generator gives you the start of one, built from four parts: a character, a setting, a problem and a twist.
For each of six genres (fantasy, sci-fi, horror, mystery, romance and thriller) and for a general “All Genres” set, the page holds 12 options for each part. One of each is drawn and the four are joined into a sentence, which gives 20,736 possible combinations per genre.
The parts are drawn independently, so some combinations fit better than others. Each pick is an unbiased draw from the browser's cryptographic random generator, as described in how our randomness works.
How to turn a random plot into a story
- Press the button until a plot makes you ask a question, such as why that character is in that place.
- Give the character a name with the name generator and the setting a name with the place name generator.
- Write the last scene first: what does the twist change?
- Set a timer for ten minutes and write the opening without stopping. Edit later.
Example: a fantasy plot from start to first scene
With the genre set to Fantasy, one press can give: “A cursed prince in a floating castle must break an ancient curse, but magic comes with a price.” The question it raises is what the price is, and who pays it.
The prince gets a name from the royal name generator. Writing the last scene first might give: the curse breaks, and the castle falls with it. The ten-minute opening then has to show why he would pay that price.
For a picture of the castle to go with it, try the random art prompt generator.
Questions about the random plot generator
How many different plots can it make?
20,736 per genre: 12 characters × 12 settings × 12 problems × 12 twists. A few parts appear in more than one genre, such as a young wizard in both Fantasy and All Genres, so the total across genres is a little under seven times that.
Is “All Genres” a mix of the six genres?
No. It is a seventh set of its own, with more general parts such as a retired soldier or a small village. Pick a genre when you want the parts to match one another.
Why do some plots not make sense?
The four parts are drawn independently and nothing checks whether they fit. Press again, or keep the odd one and work out why that character would be in that place.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Plot (narrative) — what a plot is (checked October 16, 2026)