The Missing Museum Artifacts
Craft a narrative around a coastal town police officer who discovers maritime artifacts that are linked to thefts at local museums. Explore the blending of local lore with investigative procedure as they unravel the network behind the artefacts' disappearance.
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 most helpful witness be the one with the most to hide.
- Tell it from the point of view of a suspect who is lying about something else.
- Give the victim a secret the reader learns before the detective does.
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 Police Procedural prompts
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- The Precinct's Hidden CaseWrite a story from the perspective of a rookie police officer who uncovers a long-unsolved case hidden in the false bottom of an old filing cabinet at…
- Tracks to the CabinDuring a severe winter storm, the power is cut off in a small mountain town. The local police station receives an anonymous tip about a potential…
- The Retirement HeistA seasoned detective nearing retirement is assigned to train a young, overeager rookie. Their first case together involves a sophisticated art heist…
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