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10 AI-Generated Red Herrings

“AI Made Me Do It” Writing Prompts Part 7

In my last segment of the promptilicious series “AI Made Me Do It,” I asked ChatGPT to generate 10 writing prompts that include a shocking plot twist. In a companion article, How to Write a Plot Twist, I wrote about how I, as a human writer, try to craft memorable plot twists using careful planning, strategic execution (such as foreshadowing and red herrings), and genre subversion.

The “red herring”—so named for the practice of using smelly fish to mislead hunting dogs—is a literary device that helps make a twist less expected by increasing the number of plausible solutions to your story’s mystery.

For today’s segment of “AI Made Me Do It,” I’ve asked ChatGPT to generate some red herrings that might be used to divert readers from connecting the dots too soon.

Check out Parts 1–6 of “AI Made Me Do It” for more prompts:

Part 1: Prompts About Artificial Intelligence Part 2: Writing Prompts About Love Part 3: These Prompts are LIES Part 4: Springtime Prompts Part 5: Prompts Against Humanity Part 6: AI-Generated Plot Twists

How This Works

• Use the following prompts to write anything you’d like: a short story, flash fiction, poem, article, creative nonfiction, etc. Use the prompt in its entirety or change whatever you’d like; it’s up to you!
• Submit your response here at Promptly Written (please follow the submission guidelines) where it will be edited by yours truly, Casey Lawrence**, to other any publication, or self-publish it.
• If you publish your story somewhere on Medium other than PW, make sure to include a link to the prompt at the bottom of your story and tag me (Casey) so that I don’t miss out!
• Have fun!

“AI Made Me Do It”: 10 AI-Generated Red Herrings

1. A mysterious figure is observed lurking near the crime scene, but they are a private investigator working on a separate case.
2. A cryptic diary entry is found that hints at a suspicious secret, but it is a fictional story the character was working on.
3. A mysterious organization’s members appear to have connections to a crime, but it’s revealed to be a harmless hobby group.
4. A missing necklace is found hidden in the protagonist’s drawer, raising suspicions about their involvement in a theft, but they have never seen it before.
5. A witness claims to have seen the suspect fleeing the crime scene, but it’s later discovered they have poor eyesight.
6. A character’s erratic behavior and frequent disappearances lead others to believe they are involved in illegal activities, but they have a legitimate excuse.
7. A cache of weapons and suspicious materials is found in a suspect’s basement, pointing to their guilt, but they are an amateur prop maker for local theater productions.
8. A character with a history of criminal activity returns to town just as a new crime occurs, making them an immediate suspect, but they were coincidentally visiting for unrelated reasons.
9. A mysterious symbol or marking is found at the crime scene, leading investigators to believe it’s connected to a secret society, but it’s actually random graffiti.
10. A character’s sudden wealth and extravagant lifestyle raise suspicions about their involvement in illegal activities, but it’s revealed they won the lottery and had kept it a secret.

The AI language model ChatGPT generated the above prompts from keywords or elements related to the theme. I select the prompts from several chats, edit them for clarity, and exclude any I find boring, offensive, or derivative (i.e., too close to existing IP or another prompt).

Bonus

Here are ten AI-generated ‘micro-prompts’. You can use them as part of your response to the prompts above, or as writing prompts in their own right!

1. Bloodstained knife, kitchen accident.
2. Strange footprint, exotic pet escape.
3. Suspicious phone call, prankster friend.
4. Bloodied glove, innocent pastry chef.
5. Locked door, open window.
6. Incriminating photograph, clever Photoshop.
7. Flickering lights, faulty electrical wiring.
8. Suspicious package, harmless gift.
9. Strange smell, nearby construction work.
10. Hidden camera, YouTube prank setup.

If you have topics you’d like me to suggest to ChatGPT for generating writing prompts, put them in the comments!

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**To respect my time, note that I will only edit small issues, such as minor spelling and punctuation mistakes, tags, or formatting. If a story requires extensive editing, I will leave a Private Note and reject the piece for you to edit. You may resubmit a rejected story once it has been properly edited according to the submission guidelines.