The Memory Thief
Set in a dystopian future where memories can be bought and sold, a memory detective is tasked with recovering a stolen set of memories that could shift the balance of power in the city. As the detective delves deeper, he starts to suspect that his own memories might have been altered as part of the crime.
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 victim a secret the reader learns before the detective does.
- Start with the confession, and make the story about why it's false.
- Make the detective wrong at the midpoint, for a good reason.
Writing mystery books
Who did it? You get every clue and a fair shot at the answer.
A mystery opens with a puzzle, usually a death, and closes with the solution. In between, a detective (professional or not) gathers clues and suspects while the reader tries to get there first. A mystery looks backward, at a crime that has already happened.
What readers expect
- A crime or puzzle early on
- Clues, suspects and red herrings
- A detective the reader follows
- A solution that is surprising but fair
A tip before you start
Play fair. Every clue your detective uses should appear on the page first, ideally hidden in plain sight.
More Detective prompts
- The Missing Opera StarDuring the grand reopening of an old opera house, the leading actress goes missing right before her debut performance. A rookie detective, who was…
- The Missing NegotiatorOn the eve of a historical peace treaty signing, the chief negotiator goes missing. A detective with a background in espionage is called in to…
- Murder at the Book SigningA renowned crime novelist is found dead at a book signing, and the only clue is a page torn from their upcoming unpublished manuscript. An obsessive…
- Murder at the Town FestivalSet in a small, seemingly peaceful town, write about a young detective faced with their first major case involving a local celebrity's murder during a…
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