Especially when writing a short story, there will often come a time in your plot when you get stuck. One of the best ways to move past a block in the action is to brainstorm what could happen. Then... pick one! Often when I'm trying to figure out the loose overall plot I will do a 'this happens, then that, then this' in a timeline fashion. Sometimes I can't figure out what I want to have happen next and that's when I start brainstorming. I'll do this on my own, or with my writing team and often that's the little boost I need to figure out where my story is headed and get writing again.

Examples:

Your character is dating someone and thinks they are cheating. They could:

• Try to get proof, then confront them
• Confront them with their suspicions
• Gets drunk and cheats in retaliation
• Get into a big fight
• Break up
• Forgives partner
• Orders partner to leave
• Main character leaves
• Moves into a new place
• Moves back in with parents
• Gets depressed and commits suicide
• Gets depressed and enters therapy
• Main character starts over and refuses to date
• Main character starts over and has a lot of one night stands
• Main character starts over and meets someone else
  

Or:
Your character finds out their partner is a paranormal creature. They could:

• Run screaming
• Accept them
• Attack them
• Be curious about who/what they are
• Be angry that the person hid their true nature and get into a fight about honesty
• Report them to authorities or scientists
• Reveal their own paranormal self
• Run screaming but then accept them
  

By just thinking outside the box, start coming up with anything and everything that comes to mind. Don't self-edit - just put down anything, whether it seems boring or too fanciful. As one idea spills out after the other, when you take a breath and look them over - something may cry out to you "PICK ME"!

So - above are SOME examples... If you were writing and hit a block on your character bumps into their ex while at a cafe - they COULD: ???

(your turn - start a comment with a couple of fast off the top of your head thoughts)