Adults Mystery Writing Prompts

A mysterious relic, dormant for centuries, begins to thrum with energy.

Your character is at their parents' house when they find something they wish they hadn't...

"I need you to listen to me very carefully. You don't know me, but I know you."

Write a story using this as the opening sentence.

Write a descriptive piece about a comfortable place you are familiar with, but with an ominous tone.

Word choices can give readers a very different impression of something. Try to choose words that will accurately describe the place while also creating a threatening mood.

The main character picks up the phone to hear the voice of someone they thought was dead...

While reading through an online recipe, a character realises that this isn’t just chocolate chip cookies – it’s a code.

Write a short story about this discovery and what the character does next.

‘Although I couldn’t see, something told me that I definitely wasn’t alone in the cellar.’

Write a short story that opens with this line.

“The knife belongs to me.”

Create a single dramatic scene which starts with this line of speech.

Write a short story about a character who has just learned that they aren’t The Chosen One after believing that they were.

The head detective is retiring after fifty years of success – but they treat everything like a case to be solved.

Write a short story about the detective’s co-workers attempting to throw them a retirement party.

Write a short story about someone trying to discover another person’s name.

Is the name deliberately kept secret, or is it just unknown to the person asking?

You find your old phone whilst cleaning up the house. For old times’ sake, you check the gallery, only to find images you’ve never seen before.

Continue the story.