30 New Mystery Suspense Story Ideas To Get You Writing

This week I wanted to go in a different direction and felt in the mood for some mystery and suspense story ideas. So this is for you, my suspense, mystery, and thriller readers and writers:)

If you are just getting started in writing mystery and suspense, I recommend checking out the TVTropes website to get a feel for the genres and to find some key tropes to also help you get started. Start with Mystery Tropes and Thriller Tropes (suspense).

 

As always, pick whichever prompt jumps out at you, or the one that rubs you up the wrong way the most. It’s good to write for about 10 minutes, but the time is really up to you. Plus, I always use a timer to get the best results.

 

Hope you like the prompts! Let me know which is your favourite in the comments, and I’ll get back to you asap 🙂

 

 

 

15 Mystery Suspense Fiction Prompts

1. A simple house party goes horribly wrong when all the guests vanish at once.
2. You’re a necromancer. The dead are constantly trying to hire you to help solve their murders.
3. Alternately, write about a character with the ability to make people confess if they’re guilty or not.
4. You’ve just been poisoned after attending the funeral of a friend. You’re convinced your friend was murdered and it would seem someone doesn’t want you to investigate further.
5. Write about a character who was framed. Why might they be 100% fine with this?
6. You are a murderer who has served your time. However, upon your release, write what happens when the family member of the victim contacts you—and says they need your help to find the true killer.
7. Your mother has been found after years of being missing. However, while you’re overjoyed, your siblings’ exchange shocked glances. Unbeknownst to you, they were sure they’d gotten rid of her.
8. You are a detective. Write about a killer that continues to elude you, so much so that it’s starting to become apparent they don’t exist at all.
9. A character reveals to you they killed someone…but they say your name.
10. You are a ghost, hell-bent on exacting revenge on your killers. Luckily for you, there are a number of ghosts with the same goal.
11. All the clues lead to a specific person who committed a murder. For some reason, even though it’s obvious, the police aren’t taking action. Why not?
12. A group of people wake up with no recollection of who they are. As in, they don’t remember their names, their background, etc. Will they make up new identities? Who were they before?
13. The body of a bride is found in a river. As her spouse, everyone is convinced it was you who killed her. The only problem? You have never met this woman in your life.
14. A radio show foretells the tell of a random individual every week. Write about a small town that ritually listens to the radio while trying to find the person behind the show.
15. Write about a man you find at the top of your stairs one night. However, according to him, he’s here to help you.

 

 

15 Mystery Suspense Story Starters

1. “What are you doing here? I thought I got rid of you?”
2. The clock chimed, a sign of what was about to happen.
3. The woman smiled, twirling the knife in her hands.
4. He’s been gone for years. I had finally gotten used to him being gone. Then one day, a letter arrives, with his handwriting all over it.
5. When the sun rises, I need to make sure they don’t.
6. The book read How to Disappear: What You Need to Know.
7. “I think this could interest you,” he snarled. “You might find your next clue.”
8. Imagine being so close to finding the answer, to finding peace. But the answer is something you’d do anything to forget.
9. “She’s out there somewhere, I’m sure. Yet, I doubt she wants to found.”
10.  The prisoner slammed his hands on the table, spit flying from his mouth as he screamed, “how could I have done it? I wasn’t there!”
11. If the three friends could go back and change everything, they often doubted they would.
12. A silence fell over the crowd as they stared at the dead woman.
13. The house stood tall and threatening. This was it. I was definitely going in, but there was no guarantee I’d come out.
14. My mother believed my father was killed. I did too, but I was convinced she did it.
15. “Not what you were expecting, huh? Don’t worry, I was surprised too.”

 

So which was your favourite story idea? Let me know below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

 

 

Happy Writing!

Erica

 

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After more writing prompts and story starters? Check out our most popular posts: Historical Writing Prompts and Love Story Writing Prompts.

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