Prophecies from the Abandoned Library
Create a narrative involving a group of friends who find an old, cryptic book in an abandoned library. As they decipher the contents, paranormal events begin to mirror ancient prophecies from the book—prophecies that predict dire outcomes for each of them.
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.
- End a scene on a phone call, a knock or a name.
- Let the reader know something the hero doesn't.
- Cut every scene the moment the tension drops.
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 Paranormal Thriller prompts
- The Medium at the Old MansionA renowned psychic medium retires to a sleepy countryside, hoping to escape the voices that have haunted her career. But instead of peace, she finds…
- The Paranormal DebunkerDescribe the unsettling journey of a journalist who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences as they come face-to-face with incontrovertible…
- The Shadow Around HerAfter surviving a near-fatal accident, a man develops the ability to see "shadows" around people, which he soon learns signify imminent death. When he…
- Murders Under the CurseImagine a scenario where a detective with a rational mind confronts a string of murders that seem to be linked to an ancient curse. Every step closer…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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