Advanced Thriller Writing Prompts

Delve into the Depths of Thrilling Tales.

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STORY STARTER

‘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.

STORY STARTER

“The knife belongs to me.”

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

STORY STARTER

Write a story about how something that appears to be harmless is used to cause suffering.

You may choose to write about an actual object that is disguised or misused, or perhaps something more metaphorical.

STORY STARTER

Write a story from two different perspectives, paralleling each other in one event.

The pair of characters should ideally be connected, like a killer and a victim.

STORY STARTER

Inspired by Bookworm

A world mandate is released that, due to overpopulation, every household must choose one member to be sacrificed.

What perspective will you write from to show the horror of this situation? Think about the different types of households and how different people would react to this news.

STORY STARTER

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.

STORY STARTER

A bank teller has just been approached by a masked man with a gun, demanding all the money. Luckily, they’ve watched a lot of crime dramas...

WRITING OBSTACLE

Write a short story that uses delayed decoding to create tension.

Delayed decoding is when the narrator describes an object or event but without all the information needed to fully understand the scene until later. It often relies on sensory information without context.

STORY STARTER

The person your character loves the most confesses to doing something terrible that could destroy multiple lives.

What do they do?

STORY STARTER

Your character sleepwalks. One night, they wake up in the middle of the road, surrounded by police and fire engines.

Continue the story from here.

STORY STARTER

"It's impossible to describe the sheer terror we felt..."

Write a story which starts with this line. Consider that your character is speaking in retrospect of the terrifying event; how does this change how you write the story?

WRITING OBSTACLE

Create a description of a place that is typically thought to be haunted or scary.

This could be a real place, or somewhere you invent. Try to consider the language you use to create an atmosphere of fear or suspicion.

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