Mystery & Crime writing prompt
Notes from the Real Killer
A forensic psychologist is called to a high-profile courtroom trial to determine the sanity of a defendant accused of a string of gruesome murders. During the trial, the psychologist begins to receive mysterious notes that contain information only the real murderer would know, suggesting the accused might be innocent.
Suggested length: A short story: 1,500 to 5,000 words, or flash fiction under 1,000
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Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- 1Make the detective wrong at the midpoint, for a good reason.
- 2End with the solution in a single line of dialogue.
- 3Plant the key clue in the first scene, in plain sight.
More mystery & crime prompts
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- The Officer's First CaseOn the eve of retiring, a seasoned police officer stumbles upon an old, unsolved file that turns out to be the first ever case they worked on. Obsessed with resolving it before leaving the force, they return to the small town where it all began, only to find that townspeople are not merely unhelpful, but actively trying to hinder the investigation.
- The Birthday Case FileA retired detective receives a mystery birthday gift: an old, unsolved case file from his past, now with a new clue enclosed. As he dusts off his investigative skills, he realizes the sender must be someone from the original list of suspects.
- Murder at the Writers' RetreatA famous crime novelist attends a writer's retreat and becomes unwittingly embroiled in a real mystery when one of the attendees mirrors the murder method from her best-selling book. She must solve the crime before the story catches up to her own ending.
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