Hey there! So I'm working on a story (fanfiction) but the plot is an idea that has already been used a few times. Not to the point that its been overused, but its definitely been seen before by most of the fandom. Do you have any advice on how to make my story stand out?
Subverting Common Fanfiction AUs and Plot Ideas
First of all, you should know that your story doesn’t have to stand out for it to be amazing!
Write what makes you happy, not what other people tell you to write. If you want to write a story that has all the tropes, totally do it if it’s what you want!
If you want it to be different, however, I suggest you write down all of the different elements of that trope and then change one aspect of it.
What is the usual setting of the plot? What is the usual dilemma? How do the characters usually act?
Take one or more of those and completely change it up!
Situational twist: The shop is a front for the mafia.
Setting twist: The shop isn’t in a small town, but rather in a city with a rich culture like Paris, Venice, Tokyo, etc.
Genre twist: The shop is under investigation for a string of deaths connected to regular customers.
Character twist: It isn’t the barista/baker they fall in love with, but rather the person who mops the floors and cleans tables.
Situational twist: They’re both disguised as students because they both wanted to investigate something. Neither one knows the other isn’t actually a student.
Setting twist: The school isn’t actually a normal school. It’s one of those academies where classic classroom settings are replaced with nature-oriented, hands-on lessons.
Genre twist: The school is the first school to be opened on Mars.
Character twist: They’re not students. They’re janitors/secretaries
Situational twist: They were hitmen hired to kill each other
Setting twist: It takes place in a sleepy town in the countryside, not in a big city. This, of course, is an issue: the town isn’t big enough for TWO hitmen for hire.
Genre twist: They’re in the Middle Ages
Character twist: The “hitmen” don’t actually kill people, just humiliate them or prank them in such a way that they skip town.
Royalty/Arranged Marriage AU?
Situational twist: They aren’t the ones with the arranged marriage, but their friends/siblings are. They team up to try to ruin the wedding/stop the marriage.
Setting twist: It’s the modern day and the “royalty” has been reduced to worthless public figures. The “arranged marriage” isn’t to solidify political ties at all, but rather to gain publicity.
Genre twist: The “royalty” in question are actually rich families during the Gilded Age.
Character twist: One of the characters is asexual. They and the partner they have an arranged marriage with have to try to fake a pregnancy until they figure out something about the heir situation.
Pornstar/Stripper/Sex work AU?
Situational twist: The pornstar/stripper/sex worker actually loves their job and has become rich off of it, much to the shock of their partner
Setting twist: It takes place in the forest/remote area. Seems like a weird place for business, right?
Genre twist: It takes place on a space outpost
Character twist: One of them is a secret agent on the side.
Situational twist: There actually really isn’t much crime going around. As two sheriffs out of a job, they decide to MAKE some crime.
Setting twist: It takes place in the Rocky Mountains rather than in the typical desert “West.”
Genre twist: A murder mystery!
Character twist: Neither of them are sheriffs or bandits or outlaws. They run an outpost/tavern that sells gear/food to people heading for the gold rush.
Situational twist: Both of them act like they’re better magicians than they actually are and peer pressure each other into doing spells that neither of them really have much of a grasp on.
Setting twist: It takes place in a super cold place. Alaska, Russia, Antarctica, the North Pole, Canada– you name it.
Genre twist: The “magic” is actually highly developed science
Character twist: They themselves aren’t magicians, but their roommates are and they both get dragged to a seance gone wrong.
Try an era other than Classical empires, the Victorian Era, and modern wars (I.e. World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, etc.)
Some cool new time periods/ancient places to try:
I know the list is a LOT longer but you get the gist. The key for a stand out story is that plot twist! Spice it up and feel free to make the trope into something that can be your own!
