The ‘unexpected encounter' - a simple writing idea that just keeps on giving

A generative tool all writers can use again and again

Photo by Xavier von Erlach on Unsplash

We’ve all had them. Those moments when our world is altered, either hugely or subtly, by an unexpected encounter. The strangers we meet briefly, and never meet again, whose influence stretches well beyond the moment of contact. The people we meet without any design or planning who stay in our lives forever as friend or partner, or even foe.

It’s not just about people. We might stumble on a situation, or a place, or an object, that changes the way we think, or cracks open our assumptions about life.

The unexpected encounter is a very human, and a very universal occurrence. And boy, is it catnip when it comes to writing.

It’s so prevalent, it almost hides in plain sight as a literary device. But when you start to think about it, a meeting or interaction that is unplanned and unforeseen is the absolute bonanza of possibility it brings in disrupting the established order or routine, and they way it leads to new perspectives, challenges, or revelations.

My most recent unexpected encounter

It was by way of email. Four lines of text from a producer from the BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation for those who don’t know), who asked if I would be interested in being commissioned to write an original story for broadcast.

Out. Of. The. Blue.

I’ve long harboured an ambition to write a short story for the BBC. But it’s not been something I’ve pursued. I hadn’t put my name around - I wouldn’t even know where to start. I’d entered no competitions. I had no contacts within the BBC. I had no sense that I was on the radar at all.

I repeat: Out. Of. The. Blue.

Of course I said yes. But then comes the usual concern (and when I say concern, I mean panic). What was I going to write about? I had nothing that was the right length or that I felt could be adapted. Writing a short story for broadcast means one voice, limited POV changes, something with a clearly discernible plot and subtle in a different way to writing for the page.

But I had one story that I had been tinkering with for a while that I thought would work. And guess what that was about? Yeah, an unexpected encounter.

The nature of my story means the unexpectedness of this encounter is not just about two strangers meeting and the consequences of that. It’s also about the unexpected things these characters are bringing to the encounter. I’m not going to give away any more than that - if you want to know more, tune in:

Snowbirds and Coyotes by KM Elkes, BBC Short Works, 11th July 2025

Unexpected Encounters are everywhere in literature and art

Off the top of my head, I immediately think of the following:

• The short and profound poem Encounter By Czeslow Milosz

• Pip’s meeting with Magwitch in a graveyard on Christmas Eve in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.

• The movie Pulp Fiction is based around a series of connected random encounters.

• Joyce Carol Oates’ chilling story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.

• A unexpected encounter between a shop assistant and a robber holding a baby in Kathy Fish’s flash fiction Everything’s Shitty At Price King.

Or any number of ghost stories, sci-fi stories, and crime stories.

So why does it work so well?

1. Instant Complication and Intrigue
   An unexpected encounter brings with it an air of fresh possibility, mystery, and possibility.

2. Immediate Questions lead to Instant Engagement

   You as the writer figure out the questions that will be intriguing the reader - why is this happening now? What’s the history between these characters (if any)? What secrets are being hidden? How will this change? What happens next?

   This "immediacy" is storytelling gold. You’re giving the reader (and yourself) a sense of discovery.

3. It builds in a pivot or turning point
   Even a small, random encounter can shift the trajectory of a character or situation, or even a character’s understanding of themselves or the situation. That potential for transformation gives the scene narrative gravity.

4. It demands response.
   Once you start to think about The Unexpected Encounter it opens up whole vista of possibilities. The response could be imbued with the inevitable, it could be awkward, heartwarming, dangerous, or surreal. That potential is exciting as a writer.

I could probably go on, but the point is this: unexpected encounters tip the status quo off balance, creating possibilities for narrative lines that spin away from the encounter that make it so fruitful.

Not only is it a way to create a piece of writing from scratch, it is also a great way to get inspiration for stories or books, that have become stuck, like a car in loose sand, wheels spinning and only seeming to sink deeper into a rut. Introducing an unexpected encounter into such stories is the equivalent of finding someone with a winch to haul you out of the sand trap, or being helped by a bunch of friendly people to push the car back onto firmer ground.

Try it for yourself using this writing exercise

1. Create a list of up to ten unexpected encounter scenarios eg two strangers meet on a deserted beach. Two former school friends meet in prison. A couple on safari find an elephant in their room. A lonely child makes friends with a talking parrot. A rich old woman takes part in a science experiment where she meets her younger self...and so on. The list and potential is endless. You can also use the image at the top of this article as inspiration. Imagine two characters on a walk in the woods and then encountering this bizarre tableaux. How does it change their dynamic? How does it alter the mood and tone?

2. Look at the list you have made and choose one that ’sings’ to you and gives you the energy to write.

3. Before you start just spend a little time thinking about three things, the setting, the mood and tone of the encounter and some key details about each character.

If you wish, you could do this as a timed exercise, trying to write the start of a short story or a whole flash fiction in a half-hour sitting.

Feel free to share thoughts on this exercise and how you got on.

Have fun!