Gray cubicles. Monochromatic desk spaces. Office supplies. Rolling chairs, paper cuts, and flickering fluorescent lights. Most workplaces aren’t very interesting. But looking through writerly eyes brings what-ifs to the ho-hum of nine-to-five, and plot prompts pop out from every boring corner.
It’s been done before—amazing plot prompts have been wrung out from the wet blanket of office life. Who didn’t love watching Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda avenge their unfair treatment by their sexist and arrogant boss? I still giggle over flashes of Lily Tomlin as Snow White, poisoning her boss’ coffee while humming to cartoon birds. 9 to 5 is an oldie but goodie in office stories.
The Office took a mundane existence to a new, awkward, and strangely lovely level. Jim and Pam’s love story is one of my favorite TV romances.
Office Space explored a white-collar fantasy—being able to say and do what you really want without fear of consequences. Who hasn’t wanted to take a baseball bat to a copier? I know I have! And every office has a Milton.
Hell, even Die Hard’s an office movie… sorta. It’s also a Christmas movie, sorta. It starts with an office Christmas party that goes terribly wrong. (More on Christmas movies and plot development here).
The point is plot prompts come from everywhere. Idea fairies are everywhere. Even places that seem to drain our life forces with monotony and boredom can inspire great, daringly exciting stories.
Here are some plot prompts inspired by Cubicle City (that is, the office):
- The office becomes a warped version of The Lord of the Flies when they’re locked in for an emergency. Cliques form, each trying to control the other.
- After a nightmare Christmas party fiasco, she must make amends, especially to the one person she hurt the most, or leave the company altogether.
- The IT team plans three overnight shifts to switch out the company’s dated computers and update their systems. But on the first night, strange things happen In the building. Is the building haunted? And will they survive all three shifts?
- Die Hard meets Outbreak when terrorists release a debilitating toxin Into an office’s AC and hold the loopy employees hostage for ransom.
- Two work rivals enjoy facing off on projects to Impress the bosses, but now they must team up to fight for a more Important cause—saving the company.
- A twist on a typical boss/employee relationship when employees ban together and play matchmaker for their busy, lonely boss, not knowing that he’s already In love with one of them… Think Emma/Clueless.
- Another romantic twist… when the CEO starts dating her biggest competitor, her employees suspect he’s using her for trade secrets and set out to sabotage the relationship
- A weather emergency (tornado, avalanche, tidal wave, hurricane, forest fire, sinkhole) brings the office together to survive.
- A world event (zombie apocalypse, alien Invasion, military Invasion, terrorist attack, active shooter) unites the office for survival.
- It’s an ordinary day until employees get trapped… In a faulty elevator, on a locked roof, In the supply closet, In the basement, In the lab (with the experiments), In the parking garage, In the factory…
- Jealousies develop when Pete puts his reputation on the line and hires a friend to join his team. Only his friend ends up taking over, Innovating things, and becoming everyone’s favorite.
- Everyone’s a little skittish when the company Installs Artificial Intelligence on their computers. Still, they soon find #Query’s help on everything from units ordered to what to have for lunch rather… perfect. Until they realize that maybe It’s not an AI after all.
- Two people up for the same promotion work hard to undercut each other and, somehow, fall In love. But will the relationship survive when one gets the job the other wants?
- Sparks fly at a random meet-cute with a stranger, but things get uncomfortable when she realizes the stranger’s her company’s new CEO, and she just flirted with her new boss!
- Five employees forced to work on a Saturday get into shenanigans while avoiding their mean boss… Think of it as a corporate Breakfast Club.
- Workmates form a type of family and often take on similar roles. The office Mom likes taking care of others and offering advice. The office Dad manages a tight ship. The rebel doesn’t want to be there but feels trapped. The peacemaker tries to keep everyone happy. Likewise, family-like drama happens. A death that shakes up the entire office—how does an office get over a co-worker’s suicide, for instance? Or an addiction forces an intervention? Or an affair or some other offense creates a tense, difficult work environment?
- A disgruntled employee comes up with an ingenious plan to rob the company of millions of dollars with little risk of getting caught. But will he do it?
Rather Intriguing plot prompts arising from a boring 9 to 5 office, right? And there’ll be more in the next post. If you share your office ideas below, I’ll be sure to add them to the next one.
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