The Ancestor's Haunting
Envision a character who can interact with paranormal entities but loses a bit of their own life energy each time they do so. Detail their struggles as they try to solve a century-old mystery involving their ancestors, weighing every action against their diminishing lifespan.
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.
- Make the magic or technology cost your hero something they can't get back.
- Give the villain a reason that would convince you, if you lived there.
- Let the hero's plan work, and make that the problem.
Writing paranormal fiction
Vampires, ghosts and witches, just around the corner.
Paranormal fiction drops supernatural beings into the real, modern world. Unlike horror, the creatures aren't always the threat: they're often the heroes or the love interests. It overlaps heavily with romance and urban fantasy.
What readers expect
- Supernatural beings in our world
- A hidden society with its own rules
- Romance, danger or both
- Secrets ordinary people can't know
A tip before you start
Decide the rules early. Can your vampires cross running water? Readers will hold you to it.
More Supernatural and Paranormal prompts
- The Fallen Guardian AngelIn a world where people are aware of their guardian angels, a young woman discovers that her angel is actually a fallen one, desperately trying to…
- The Ether-Bound GuardianImagine a world where every human has a guardian spirit linked to an element (fire, water, earth, air). However, your character discovers they are…
- Lives Beneath the Full MoonWrite a story about a small town where every full moon, inhabitants wake up with a faint memory of living another life in a parallel dimension.…
- The Ghost in the Tech MuseumWrite a story from the perspective of a ghost who is haunting a modern technology museum. Explore the contrasts and confusions they face in an era of…
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