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
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Make the detective wrong at the midpoint, for a good reason.
- End with the solution in a single line of dialogue.
- Plant the key clue in the first scene, in plain sight.
Writing mystery books
Who did it? You get every clue and a fair shot at the answer.
A mystery opens with a puzzle, usually a death, and closes with the solution. In between, a detective (professional or not) gathers clues and suspects while the reader tries to get there first. A mystery looks backward, at a crime that has already happened.
What readers expect
- A crime or puzzle early on
- Clues, suspects and red herrings
- A detective the reader follows
- A solution that is surprising but fair
A tip before you start
Play fair. Every clue your detective uses should appear on the page first, ideally hidden in plain sight.
More Mystery and Crime prompts
- The Typewriter's Cold CasesAfter purchasing an old typewriter from a garage sale, a crime novelist starts receiving typed notes on their doorstep that describe unsolved cases…
- 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.…
- 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…
- 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…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
Plans from $9.99 a month. Cancel any time. Your words are always yours.