@hannahGE_ I understand your point. The prompts are not required but are there to inspire writers. Here are some ideas I have thought of based on the written prompts, rather than the visual ones. (Feel free to use any of these ideas; no credit is needed.)
~ “You hire a writer to help tell your life story. Before the first chapter is finished, the writer disappears, leaving behind a manuscript containing things you never told them.” This is perfect for a psychological thriller/mystery. How does the writer know your deepest secrets? Are they watching you? It's a great setup for paranoia and suspense.
~ “You find a note in your locker. It isn't meant for you, but the more you read, the more certain you become that whoever wrote it knows something about you.” This could become a creepy mystery or supernatural stalker story. Is the sender human, or something else trying to lure the protagonist out?
~ [Lyrical prompt] “Hotel California”: Create a place that is beautiful and welcoming at first glance, but impossible to leave. My take: A cozy B&B in a wealthy neighborhood where deceased residents lure guests into a beautiful, inescapable trap. Mystery, paranormal, and horror all rolled into one!
~ [Lyrical prompt] “Thriller” by Michael Jackson: Write about a character who discovers that something they thought they understood is far more dangerous than imagined. This prompt could easily become a supernatural horror, or a classic ghost story.
~ The visual prompt with the question-mark cube is AMAZING for mystery and suspense. Your character buys a strange black box at a yard sale (I literally have one in green, and no, I don't ask it questions XD). They ask it questions, and the box shows what might happen if they made different choices. At first, it seems wonderful. Eventually, they ask what life might've been like without their worst mistake. The box reveals a beautiful alternate life, forcing them to choose between reality and endlessly chasing perfection.
