The Basement Beneath the Antique Store
Write a plot that follows two siblings who inherit an antique store from their estranged uncle only to discover a hidden basement filled with stolen artifacts and illicit goods, forcing them to navigate the murky waters of the criminal underworld to protect their legacy.
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 Crime Thriller prompts
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- The Missing Hacker's SiblingA notorious hacker, previously involved in several high-profile cybercrimes, is forced back into the world of illegal hacking when his younger sibling…
- The Detective's Unsolved CaseCreate a narrative around a retired detective who is haunted by an unsolved case from their past. The detective decides to tackle the case on their…
- Packages on Maple StreetIn a quiet suburban neighborhood, a series of seemingly random households receive identical, unmarked packages on their doorsteps. Each package…
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