The Spy Left for Dead
A seasoned spy is on the verge of cracking a major global conspiracy when they're betrayed by their partner and left for dead in a foreign city. Stripped of their identity and resources, they must rely on their old skills to survive, unmask the betrayer, and complete their mission.
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.
- Let the reader know something the hero doesn't.
- Cut every scene the moment the tension drops.
- Put a clock on it: the hero has until midnight.
Writing thriller books
Something terrible is coming. Can they stop it in time?
Where a mystery looks back at a crime, a thriller looks forward at a threat. The reader often knows more than the hero, and the tension comes from watching danger close in. Short chapters, high stakes and a ticking clock are the tools of the trade.
What readers expect
- A clear, escalating threat
- A hero under pressure
- Twists and reversals
- Pace: little time to breathe
A tip before you start
Put a clock on it. A deadline the reader can count down turns every scene into a race.
More Spy Thriller prompts
- The Digital WeaponDuring a routine surveillance mission, an intelligence operative stumbles upon an underground group planning to release a digital weapon that could…
- The Silicon Valley SpyImagine a scenario where a spy must infiltrate a high-profile tech company suspected of selling state secrets. They must maintain their cover while…
- The Mole at the SummitA veteran spy is brought out of retirement for one last mission: to authenticate the identity of an elusive mole within the intelligence agency they…
- The Linguist's Coded MessagesIn a bustling European city, a skilled linguist is recruited by an enigmatic organization to decipher coded messages left in public spaces. As the…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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