Mystery Writing Prompts
Unlock the mystery and let your imagination soar.
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POEM STARTER
A photo booth camera captures the moment when a girl confesses something to her friend.
In a poem or short story, describe the image and let the readers infer the nature of the confession.
STORY STARTER
Being the Key Bearer was a difficult job, but it came with its benefitsâŚ
STORY STARTER
In a heart-shaped box, a mother keeps her childrenâs teeth...
Use this as the opening line to a story or poem, and decide whether this narrative will have a sweet or harrowing tone.
POEM STARTER
Write a poem that has an uncanny mood.
Uncanny is defined as strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way.
VISUAL PROMPT
Prompt submitted by writerbear

A girl walks a cross a frozen lake in hopes of finding something or someone...
STORY STARTER
Your protagonist has been infuriated at a flickering streetlight in front of their house, but one day realises it's morse code. They start to decode the message...
STORY STARTER
Submitted by Atlas
She didn't look up from the cracks in the sidewalk, nor did she turn down her street to go home. Instead, she just kept walking.
Write a story about a character attempting to vanish.
STORY STARTER
Write a story about a character who is being haunted by a song.
STORY STARTER
Ahead of you, footprints appear on the beach heading into the ocean, but there is no one in sight.
VISUAL PROMPT
By Tilak Baloni @Unsplash

Write a short story or scene about the character pictured above.
STORY STARTER
Your protagonist works in a dry-cleaners, and finds something concerning in the pocket of a jacket...
STORY STARTER
The protagonist realises they can't remember how or where they first met their partner...