The Cleaner and the Cold Case
Describe a day in the life of a crime scene cleaner who accidentally discovers evidence that could solve a cold case. The discovery leads them into the dangerous world of crime and conspiracy, forcing them to decide whether to turn in the evidence or destroy it to protect themselves and their family.
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.
- Limit it to one location and one night.
- 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.
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 Magician and the Missing PaintingIn a bustling city market, a famous painting goes missing from a high-security mobile exhibition. The main suspect is a street magician who claims he…
- The Lighthouse Keeper’s CoinIn a small coastal town, the beloved lighthouse keeper is found murdered, his body discovered at the base of the lighthouse. The only clue is a…
- The Detective and the City HeistsAfter receiving a cryptic letter, an infamous retired detective is drawn back into the world of crime-solving when the letter leads to the unfolding…
- 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…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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