32 Mystery Writing Prompts

 

1. The richest man on Earth has a hidden vault filled with millions of dollars, expensive jewelry and gems. One night he goes to add to his collection of gems and notices a sentimental piece of jewelry missing.
2. One-by-one random things keep on going missing in your house. First your watch, then a teapot. Who is taking them and why?
3. One of your classmates mysteriously stops coming to school. It’s been nearly 2 weeks since you last saw them. What could have happened to them?
4. A person takes a game of snakes and ladders too literally. In random locations around the city, snakes and ladders have been placed. Where do those ladders go? Why are snakes placed in these random places? Can you solve this strange mystery?
5. Last night a series of supermarkets and warehouses across the city were robbed. The thief or thieves only steal toilet paper. Can you solve this case?
6. Meet Benji, the cat detective. Benji is a feisty feline who is on a mission to capture the great tuna can thief. 
7. You are a reporter for the Imagine Forest Times newspaper, you are writing an article on the missing rare bird eggs in the local forest.
8. Imagine you are a security guard. It’s your first night shift at the local art Museum. The next morning a priceless painting goes missing, and you are blamed. You need to prove your innocence before you are sent to prison, but how?
9. Write a time travel mystery story where the main character keeps going back in time to find out  . . . . . .
10. You and your friends go to the fairground. You decide to ride the carousel. Round and round you go, and then the ride stops. When it stops you notice one of your friends is suddenly missing. Where did they go?
11. The main character in your story is caught red-handed with the missing jewel in their hand. But did they really steal this jewel?
12. Someone has been stealing mobile phones at your school. You think you know who it is, so you set up a try to catch the thief.
13. You discover a note in your bag. It says, “I know what YOU have done!” – Who can have left this note, and what are they talking about?
14. For over 10 years, your twin sister was missing. But there she is – Suddenly walking in the middle of the street. Where has she been? What happened to her?
15. A mysterious person has stolen all your teddy bears and is holding them for ransom somewhere. Each day you get a cryptic riddle. If you can solve each riddle you will receive one teddy bear back each time. 
16. It’s the year 3,000. Your main character is a lawyer for a robot. They must prove this robot’s innocence in a human murder trial. 
17. “Poppy! Poppy! Where are you, buddy?” Mindy searched for her pet Labrador everywhere. But she was nowhere to be seen. It turns out all the dogs in town have been missing since last night. What could have possibly happened to them?
18. You notice some muddy footprints leading into a thick forest at your local park. You follow this trail of footprints to a secret hatch in the woods. The door of the hatch has been left open. When you go inside you discover something shocking.
19. Your dog digs up an old lunchbox in your backyard. Inside the lunchbox, you find a key, an address and some old newspaper clipping of missing people. You think you can solve this case of the missing people by just visiting that address. But things get a little more complicated…
20. A small-town sheriff gets caught up in the biggest robbery in history. When over a million dollars just vanish into thin air, people are quick to blame the shifty-eyed sheriff from out of town. But is he really the culprit in this crime?
21. When Sara was a young girl she was kidnapped by a strange man and woman who took care of her. But now Sara wants to know what happened to her real parents. Are they still alive? Are they still looking for her?
22. Write a mystery story titled, ‘Who Stole My Homework?’ The main character’s A* worthy English essay is stolen by someone, but who?
23. “10 car windows broken in 10 days! What does it all mean? What does it mean?” Exclaimed Detective Riley.
24. A lost bracelet ends up in your best friend’s locker at school, along with other precious items. Your best friend is wrongly accused of stealing these items.
25. One girl must find her stolen prom dress before the prom. In the days leading up to the prom, more and more of her accessories for prom night are being stolen. Who is this thief?
26. Every night the car alarms for every car on your street turn on at exactly 2.03 am. why is this happening, and who is responsible?
27. A mysterious hacker has hacked into the city’s power grid. They have the power to on and off electricity whenever they want. Can you catch them before they do any more damage?
28. Your teacher gives back your English assignment, and you got an F! Looking closer, you realise that this is not your assignment at all! The same starts happening in your other classes. Someone has been swapping your assignments – But who?
29. A family picnic at the park becomes unbearable when you open up the basket to discover every family members untold secrets.
30. Your main character is a news reporter who is convinced that the killer of Rosie Moore is still out there. They know that the police have convicted the wrong person for this awful crime. Can your main character find the real killer before the wrong person is sentenced to life in prison?
31. Someone has been replacing all shampoos around town with a hair removal solution. When half the town’s hair starts falling out, it is up to you, a top detective to solve this crime.
32. Write an animal mystery tale about a dog who wants to find the original owner of a doll he found in the park.