Are your students going to write short story, film script or novel in the near future? Then send them to the Plot Generator for some inspiration!

This free web tool features generators for various kinds of writing projects in a wide range of genres including fantasy, mystery, romance, teen vampire and science fiction to name a few.

So, here’s how this nifty resource works: Choose a theme from the selection of plot generators. Add keywords to the template provided—or select the random option. Then click the “Write me” button to check out the results.

Here’s what the Plot Generator created for me after I selected the Science Fiction theme and completed the corresponding template:

Galactic Hot Spoon Wars
A Science Fiction Plot
by J. L. Fozzhey

A long, long time ago in a hot, hot galaxy…

After leaving the hilly planet Solaris, a group of robots fly toward a distant speck. The speck gradually resolves into a sizzling, space skyscraper.

Civil war strikes the galaxy, which is ruled by Kevin McCallister, an old-fashioned gremlin capable of fraud and even abduction.

Terrified, a grubby troll known as Flora Plumb flees the Empire, with her protector, Maud Randall.

They head for Liverpool on the planet Abydos. When they finally arrive, a fight breaks out. Randall uses her hot spoon to defend Flora.

Randall and Troll Flora decide it’s time to leave Abydos and steal a space rocket to shoot their way out. They encounter a tribe of men. Randall is attacked and the troll is captured by the men and taken back to Liverpool.

Randall must fight to save Troll Flora but when she accidentally unearths a sunny book, the entire future of the hot, hilly galaxy is at stake.

You can also check out the finished product via a permanent link which accompanies each story. View mine here.

In addition to the main events of a story, the Plot Generator also creates a title, byline and cover image for the story. (An example is shown on the left.) The tool also produces some testimonials about the article as well.

Oh, and how could I forget: Users can even snag an alias for their story by utilizing the Pen Name Generator that is part of the Plot Generator site. (I laughed out loud at my pen name suggestions!)

If you and your students enjoy using this site to produce stories, consider trying the Song Lyrics and Letter Generators as well!

Classroom Connection:

Use the Plot Generator to stimulate creativity for writing projects and/or to motivate reluctant or struggling writers.