The Mansion Heist Plans
While exploring an ancient, abandoned mansion on the outskirts of town, a group of friends discovers a hidden room behind a bookshelf that contains detailed plans for a series of unsolved high-profile heists. They soon realize that the mansion isn't as abandoned as they thought and must escape before they become the next victims in a deadly game.
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.
- Let the reader know something the hero doesn't.
- Cut every scene the moment the tension drops.
- Put a clock on it: the hero has until midnight.
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 Action Thriller prompts
- The Sahara RelicDuring a severe sandstorm in the Sahara, a team of archaeologists uncovers an ancient relic with mysterious inscriptions. They are suddenly ambushed…
- The Train’s Anonymous MessageA fast-paced narrative about two strangers on a train who receive an anonymous message at the same time: "Do exactly as I say or everyone on this…
- The Cruise Ship DisappearancesA retired secret agent on a transatlantic cruise to Europe notices suspicious behavior among the crew. When passengers start disappearing, the retired…
- The Commuter Plane BombWrite a nail-biting tale about a pilot of a small commuter plane who discovers a bomb on board. With nowhere to land and time running out, the pilot…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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