Murders Under the Curse
Imagine 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 to solving the case pulls them deeper into the paranormal, forcing them to question their own beliefs about the world.
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.
- Open with the threat already in motion, not the setup.
- Make the person helping your hero the one to worry about.
- End a scene on a phone call, a knock or a name.
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 Skeptic at Blackwood CastleA renowned skeptic of the supernatural, famous for debunking alleged hauntings, receives a mysterious invitation to spend a weekend in a castle…
- Voices from the Cold CasesWhen a forensic scientist working on cold cases starts hearing the voices of victims, they initially believe it's stress-induced hallucinations.…
- The Medium and Her GhostSet in an alternate Victorian era where paranormal entities are integrated into society, the story follows a young medium and her dead partner — a…
- The Ghost Who Knew the TruthA detective with the ability to communicate with the spirits of crime victims teams up with the ghost of a woman who claims she was falsely accused of…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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