Obviously, the hardest part of writing a mystery is creating a believable and intriguing mystery to be solved. The same stories are told over and over again, wrapped in different packaging – so it can be tedious or challenging to come up with something new.
So, I thought I’d offer some fun writing prompts in the genre. Maybe it will help someone kick past a blockage they’ve been dealing with as they write. Who knows?
- A cat prowling around a murder victim’s house while the police detective investigate knocks over an urn. But instead of ashes, an ancient Egyptian necklace falls out.
- Setting: Small village in Iceland. Murder victim: local tour guide. Single clue left at murder scene: a hunk of rare Italian cheese. Whodunnit?
- Florida Man wins the lottery and finally goes on the vacation to Colorado Springs he’s always dreamed of. Out on the hiking trail, he discovers something in his knapsack. Before he can do anything about it, he keels over dead.
- The murder weapon: a stone globe. The victim: a veterinarian in New York City. The murderer: the owner of a small, yellow bird. Why’d they do it?
Rita Mock-Pike 