What's the smallest thing that could change your entire storyline?

What will happen if that small event never happened or got altered with a different result


  • Total voters
    29

HarryGarland

Active member
Joined
Aug 13, 2025
Messages
56
Points
33
The Sister vehemently insists on travelling with the Hero instead of letting him leave her behind in the village. Still deliberating whether this will change the trajectory of the story, then again, the choice is up to me.
 

Yubel

Active member
Joined
Jan 14, 2020
Messages
15
Points
43
If my MC hadn’t been caught by his sister while hesitating to flee his arranged marriage, he could have lived a far more carefree life with his first love and their children. But that also doomed his father scheme in the worst case scenario as his rival can secured this good marriage as his spouse is a naive regent of a large duchy.
 

CharlesEBrown

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2024
Messages
4,548
Points
158
Varies by story but...

Dane Coleman gets a job to support his mother and sister instead of joining the Marines. Never develops he skills needed, and either the Resistance selects someone else to stop the bad guy or he just wins eventually (Digital Cowboy Dane on Pocket FM)

Kelly Pierce decided he wants to be the one who lives, instead of the unknown woman in another universe. An entire world is lost eventually, maybe more (Strange Awakening).

David West decides not to overspend at OmegaCon, gets a cab ride home, and never meets Thellissandra, remaining in the dark about his own heritage, probably remaining single and never giving birth to the children that will potentially save all of reality (Between Earth and Pyrroth on Pocket FM).

Jack Diamond follows orders, Carol is sacrificed, Morgalis summons Tennigrath Lord of the Void, and the world's extranormals (superheroes) are forced into an epic confrontation that many fail to survive. A major city is likely devastated as a result, with massive loss of lives. Jack survives, but dies of cirrhosis of the liver from excessive drinking, before lung cancer would get its shot at him (Diamond in the Rough, Blood Diamond).

Indigo picks a different person's life to step into after their death instead of a future cop - could go either way for him, nothing changes for the world overall, but his child's life may be very different. His life won't be any better, but it might be longer (True Blue).

Nicholas Sato decides to stay with his school group instead of exploring the mysterious staircase he accidentally discovers. He dies in the kaiju attack on the factory, the M-78 is buried in rubble and never rediscovered, so the Exerians conquer the Earth and continue their swathe of conquest across the universe until a new challenger appears somewhere (The Kaiju System on HoneyFeed).
 

Dashio_Sumeragi

New member
Joined
Feb 20, 2026
Messages
7
Points
3
The smallest thing in my story is a simple phonecall in episode 3. David Williams, the father of the MC, Michelle, calls Trella. Trella suggests to tell Michelle the truth. If this wouldn´t happen, Michelle would never find out what Trella and her friends really are, they would never become friends , their mission would fail and a lot of things would go sideways for pretty much everyone

 

Sylver

Writer/Lover of Monster Girl Smut Content <3
Joined
Oct 11, 2023
Messages
530
Points
133
I-I don't fully understand this poll x)

But in short; if the male MC didn't rescue a stray cat, it would completely change the story.
 

Nevafrost

A stupid and foolish daughter
Joined
Apr 5, 2024
Messages
796
Points
108
I think my world has nothing like a small event. Everything had been planned since hundred of years ago and it was inevitable.
 

Lmae

Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2026
Messages
30
Points
18
If the villain did not give Casimir his "birthright" in the most invasive way possible, one person would have been radicalized, more lives would have been ruined and the mc would have been more screwed in the future.
 

Ral_062

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2025
Messages
43
Points
18
If my MC didn't experience west feild tragedy, then he'd be only a plain guard for the government while the world slowly decays as magical, primordial and other realm threats continue to destroy the already low human population into extinction. Also the 4th prince of darkness would be destroy what's left.
 

ElijahRyne

A Hermit that’s NOT that Lazy, currentlycomplainen
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Messages
1,808
Points
153
What's the smallest thing in your story that, if removed or altered, could change your novel's entire plot? Will the entire world in your story be doomed, or will it remain the same as in the original plot? Will the protagonist be happier if that small thing is changed? For example, in the anime AoT, the entire world almost got destroyed because of the events that led from a girl releasing a pig from a farm.

:blob_popcorn: You can go wild advertising your story by linking it here just make sure that you talk about atleast most of the questions or in general.
If the protagonist was not born with asthma, then he would probably live a better life. However at that point is it even the same person/character if such a fundamental thing is changed. If they are significantly different there is a chance for the world to go through a period of crisis. If I go smaller and say that he prefers purses, backpacks, and/or phanny packs to coats with a lot of pockets then the only thing that changes is his sense of fashion. If I go to the thing haunting the story, and give it a heart seed then perhaps the current conflict would never have started.
 

blushiemagic

New member
Joined
Nov 5, 2025
Messages
11
Points
3
If my MC didn't run through a specific random path through a labyrinth in a dream, the multiverse would eventually be consumed by an eldritch monstrosity. And then all the multiverse's alternate timelines would also get consumed by their own versions of said monstrosity.
 

HungrySheep

I like yuri
Joined
Jun 19, 2022
Messages
629
Points
133
One extremely small but important event in the story I'm working on is in the first chapter where the protagonist hears part of a name on TV. It's glossed over because the readers are supposed to think it's unimportant (the protagonist sure does). If she didn't hear it, she would've been dead at the end of chapter 6.
 

AliceMoonvale

Staff-assisted member
Joined
Nov 15, 2025
Messages
472
Points
93
Hmm. For my zombie diary story, if my MC was a sane, well adjusted individual, my story would be a lot more... boring.

As an eccentric retard myself, I can confirm being normal isn't as interesting as someone that looks up at the sky and thinks of the clouds as fluffy human tendons, and asserts they don't need to drink water because meat is moist.
 
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