30+ ‘mystery’ Writing Prompts
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‘Serial Letters’
A series of anonymous letters arrive on your protagonist’s doorstep, each one revealing information about an unsolved crime.
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‘Neighborhood Watch’
Write about a quiet suburban neighborhood suddenly plagued by a series of unsolved burglaries.
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Abandoned Asylum Adventure
Your protagonist must enter an infamous, abandoned asylum during a stormy night to retrieve something valuable.
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Parallel Universe Mystery
Suppose you woke up in a parallel universe where everything is exactly the same, except for one seemingly small difference.
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Letters From A Stranger
A mysterious set of letters find their way to your protagonist, changing everything they believed.
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Innocent Imposter
Write about a protagonist who discovers that someone close to them has been leading a double life.
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Haunted Heirloom
Your character finds an old family object that seems to possess an ancient mystery associated with it.
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Clandestine Caller
A strange phone call in the middle of the night leads your character down a path full of mysteries.
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Shrouded in Shadows
Describe the main antagonist as an unidentified mystery, with elusive actions affecting the protagonist indirectly.
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Histories Mysteries Unleashed
Select an unsolved historical mystery and pen down a fictional resolution to it.
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Prompt Chameleon
Pick a writing prompt and showcase how it can be interpreted differently across various genres or formats.
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Mastering Mystery
Craft a story about an enigmatic figure in the town everyone is intrigued by, but no one really knows.
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Forgotten Identity
Waking up one day without remembering your past can be terrifying. Write a story where the main character experiences this.
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Maze of Deceptions
You are the protagonist caught in a web of secrets and lies. Write a story involving uncovering truths.
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Stairway to Suspense
Write a story that begins with a character discovering a hidden staircase in their home that they never knew about.
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Hidden in Plain Sight
You notice someone hiding in a crowd. Write about the mystery that unfolds when you decide to follow them.
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Intrigue in the Art World
Imagine you are an art conservator who uncovers a cryptic message hidden in a renowned artwork.
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Mysterious Codes
Write a tale where a string of seemingly random and unrelated events form a mind-boggling code.
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Disappearing Acts
Write a story in which the most crucial piece of evidence vanishes without a trace.
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The Vanishing Town
Write a story where an entire town vanishes overnight leaving only a single survivor.
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Rendezvous at Midnight
Write a narrative about two characters who must meet at midnight to exchange something of great importance.
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Renaissance Ruminations
A famous artist during the Italian Renaissance disappears without a trace. Write from the perspective of a friend trying to find them.
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Escape Route
Imagine you are stuck in a locked room and your only means of escape is through a mysterious portal. What happens next?
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Twilight Town Terror
Write a thriller narrative about a town that experiences unexplainable events every twilight.
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Secrets of the Antique Shop
Pen down a mystery woven around an antique shop where items have strange and alarming properties.
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Mystery Character Study
Choose a character from a book you have recently read and write about who they could have been if placed in a completely different situation or reality.
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The Hushed Secrets
Unravel a family secrecy or mystery that intrigued you during your growing years.
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Midnight Sun Gathering
Imagine your family come together on the longest night of the year, a tradition they’ve kept for generations.
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The Unsolved Mystery
Recall and elaborate on a time you found out about a surprising past of your parents’
