Action Thrillers writing prompt

The Threat at Remote Airstrip

Create a story revolving around a pilot who is forced to land a commercial plane on a remote airstrip after a cryptic threat is made onboard. Isolated and waiting for help, the crew and passengers must fend for themselves when they realize the threat is far from over and help isn’t coming.

Suggested length: A short story: 1,500 to 5,000 words, or flash fiction under 1,000

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Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.

  1. End a scene on a phone call, a knock or a name.
  2. Let the reader know something the hero doesn't.
  3. 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 about thriller in our book genres guide

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