The Bookstore's Folklore Creature
You inherit a quaint bookstore that specializes in ancient texts. Among these, you discover a book that is not referenced in any records, filled with unknown symbols and scripts. One night, as you decipher a passage, you unintentionally summon a creature from folklore. Chronicle the ensuing events and your efforts to manage your new, supernatural reality.
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 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…
- The Ancestor's HauntingEnvision a character who can interact with paranormal entities but loses a bit of their own life energy each time they do so. Detail their struggles…
- The Fallen Guardian AngelIn a world where people are aware of their guardian angels, a young woman discovers that her angel is actually a fallen one, desperately trying to…
- The Ether-Bound GuardianImagine a world where every human has a guardian spirit linked to an element (fire, water, earth, air). However, your character discovers they are…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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