The Haunted Library
Imagine a library that allows you to check out haunted books—each containing a trapped spirit with a story to tell. A librarian, who has always avoided these supernatural volumes, must delve into their depths to solve a mystery that threatens the safety of both the living and the dead within the library’s walls.
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.
- Give the villain a reason that would convince you, if you lived there.
- Let the hero's plan work, and make that the problem.
- Tell it from the point of view of someone who thinks this world is perfectly normal.
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 Forest Gate of the DeadEvery century, on the night of the winter solstice, a small, forgotten gate in the heart of an ancient forest opens to a realm of the dead. You are…
- The Child Without a SpiritIn a world where people are born with an animal spirit that can manifest in the physical world, write about a character that strangely, was born…
- The Bookstore's Folklore CreatureYou inherit a quaint bookstore that specializes in ancient texts. Among these, you discover a book that is not referenced in any records, filled with…
- The Town's Last SéanceCreate a tale about a small town where residents regularly hold séances to make decisions. One day, a stranger arrives, warning them of the…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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