The Detective and the City Heists
After receiving a cryptic letter, an infamous retired detective is drawn back into the world of crime-solving when the letter leads to the unfolding of a brilliantly orchestrated series of seemingly unrelated heists across the city. Write about how the detective connects the dots and uncovers the mastermind.
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.
- Give the victim a secret the reader learns before the detective does.
- Start with the confession, and make the story about why it's false.
- Make the detective wrong at the midpoint, for a good reason.
Writing crime fiction
Not who did it, but why, and whether they'll get away with it.
Crime fiction covers any story built around a crime, and it's often told from the criminal's side. Where a mystery is a puzzle, crime fiction is about people: the pressures that lead to the crime, and what it costs everyone involved.
What readers expect
- A crime at the heart of the story
- Moral gray areas
- Criminals as real people
- Tension over who gets caught
A tip before you start
Give your criminal a reason the reader understands, even one they'd never act on themselves.
More Crime Fiction prompts
- The Framed ThiefThe daughter of a convicted thief is determined to clear her father's name. Delving into the underworld, she uses clues he's left behind to uncover…
- The Detective's Last EvidenceA retired detective receives an anonymous letter revealing the location of the final piece of evidence needed to solve their last unsolved case — a…
- The App That Granted WishesA mysterious new smartphone app promising to fulfill users’ deepest desires goes viral. However, users start to disappear after achieving their…
- The Poker Game PlotDuring a high-stakes poker game, a player realizes that the game is a cover for the players to communicate about an upcoming major crime. Pretending…
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.