[Link] 100 Writing Prompts in the Crime Genre

by Jason Hellerman

Sometimes when I can't decide what I want to watch, I just run to any crime movie I have never seen before. I love the crime and gangster genre and think it contains some of the best movies of all time.

That's why I am so happy when I hear about a new version of these kinds of movies and TV shows being made.

But to get more movies and TV shows like these, we need scripts, and it's so hard to write them. I wanted to help give you a leg up. Use these prompts to jumpstart your creativity and get the pages flowing out of you.

If you’re staring at a blank page, here are 100 writing prompts categorized by crime subgenre to help you find your next "Big Score."

Let's dive in.

100 Crime Writing Prompts

The Professional Thief & Heist

• A retired safecracker is forced into one last job when his grandson accidentally steals from a mob boss.
• An elite heist crew discovers their getaway driver is a deep-cover FBI agent.
• A group of magicians decides to rob a casino using only "old world" stage illusions.
• The heist was perfect, but the "diamond" they stole is actually a high-tech tracking device.

Read the full list: https://nofilmschool.com/crime-gangster-writing-prompts

[Link] 5 Writing Tips from the Master of Macabre: Edgar Allan Poe

by Sreenidhi Podder

Edgar Allan Poe made a career out of doom and despair, yet today, even a century after his death, he remains one of the most prolific writers the world has ever known. He might not be a textbook role model, but he knew the taste of failure, living a life that was pure chaos (some of it, definitely due to his own choices).

With a romantic knack for the eerie and a pen dipped in melancholy, Poe wrote masterpieces including The Tell-Tale Heart (1843), The Black Cat (1843), The Cask of Amontillado (1846), and The Raven (1845).

Much like his own life, his plots and their worlds are dark and thought-provoking, narrating tales that hit like a freight train.

“Because of his poverty and desperate need for cash, Poe wrote expressly for the market, in commercial genres and, to the extent he could, in a commercial style. He was forced to care about pleasing readers — and to this day, he pleases readers,” said Catherina Baab-Muguira, the author of Poe for Your Problems: Uncommon Advice from History’s Least Likely Self-Help Guru” who did extensive research on Poe for her book.

There is a lot to learn about writing from Poe. In this article, we’ve compiled the best writing tips from the man who won the world with his flaws.

Read the full article: https://nofilmschool.com/edgar-allan-poe-writing-tips

[Link] Ray Bradbury's Best Writing Advice for Aspiring Writers

by Sreenidhi Podder

From short stories to novels to screenplays, from horror to fantasy to realistic fiction, Ray Bradbury spun gold throughout his career.

He’s a literary sorcerer and, having penned masterpieces like Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury’s perspective on writing is holy to me.

His career flourished not only because he was talented but also due to his exceptional diligence and accountability to his craft. His demise is one of the greatest losses in literature and cinema.

If you want to be a writer but often second-guess yourself, check out Bradbury's advice to aspiring writers. Trust me, it will change your perspective about how you judge your work.

5 Literary Tips From Ray Bradbury

Here’s how to embark on your writing journey, Ray Bradbury style.

Read the full article: https://nofilmschool.com/ray-bradbury-writing-advice

[Link] Ernest Hemingway’s Writing Wisdom in 13 Rules

by Vishal Wagh

In an age of endless words, Hemingway wrote with a rifleman’s precision. Here’s how.

He didn’t waste ink. He stripped sentences down to their bare bones and nerves. His sentences were clean, sharp, and often unfinished.

Today, we scroll past clickbait, skim walls of text, and still crave something that feels real. Hemingway’s advice isn’t just for novelists, but for anyone who writes. Journalists, marketers, copywriters, and even the poor soul drafting emails on deadline.

What made his style revolutionary was the restraint. The trust in the reader. He left room between the lines. You never got the whole story, just the part you needed to feel it.

So, whether you're hammering out a novel or tightening your blog post, the following 13 tips—straight from Hemingway’s philosophy—will change how you write. The Foundations—Hemingway’s Core Principles:

1. Use Short Sentences

Short sentences help you hit. They leave no room for confusion or escape. Hemingway wrote as if he were reporting from the front. No lace. No soft landings.

Read A Farewell to Arms. Then read anything from the Victorian era. One feels like a punch; the other, a parlor trick. He achieved certain effects by keeping his sentences short, clarity, dramatic effect, variety, and melodic quality. They made you choose your words carefully.

Write the sentence. Cut it in half. Then see if it still works. If it does, keep it.

Read full article: https://nofilmschool.com/hemingway-writing-rules

[Link] Stan Lee’s 10 Superpowered Writing Tips

Storytelling advice from the man who gave us Spider-Man, Iron Man, and a universe of unforgettable dialogue.

by Vishal Wagh

Stan Lee rewrote the rules of what heroism could look like.

For decades, his pen stitched together flawed characters with cosmic destinies, grounded in everyday problems and elevated by snappy dialogue. He built a supercool universe.

Whether it was Peter Parker sweating over rent or the X-Men grappling with discrimination, Stan Lee’s stories worked because they punched with style and landed with heart.

Writers still quote him and study him because he transformed comic books into a storytelling bible that teaches you how to convey more by showing less, and how to navigate big ideas without ever losing sight of the human beneath the mask.

This article breaks down ten writing principles Stan Lee lived by—just a good old-fashioned advice from the man who turned radioactive accidents into character arcs.

1. Make Your Characters Relatable

Stan Lee wrote larger-than-life people with human problems. Spider-Man could stick to walls and dodge bullets, but he couldn’t dodge guilt or homework. Tony Stark built a suit of armor to protect himself, but couldn’t protect his relationships.

Read the full article: https://nofilmschool.com/stan-lee-writing-tips

[Link] 3 Writing Tips From Terry Pratchett

These are invaluable tips from one of the most successful fantasy writers ever.

by Sreenidhi Podder

Pratchett is renowned for his sharp satire and thought-provoking humor, which is evident in his fantastical world and characters. His everyday tools include parody, irony, and comedic comparisons, which he uses brilliantly to critique the evils of social institutions such as religion, politics, media, and more.

Another aspect of his writing that is often celebrated is his versatile writing style, which is both layered and straightforward, yet accessible.

He was one of those writers whose stories transcended age. In a 1992 BBC interview, when asked about whom he considers his average audience, Pratchett said, “I wish I knew. The youngest fan letter I’ve got, if you understand what I mean, was from a girl, age 7, and the oldest one was from an 85-year-old academic in Oxford, and they both were about the same book.”

His writing is so relatable because, as a writer, he effectively conveys themes through meticulous layering, allowing readers to choose their level of indulgence—surface-level comedy, adventure, or a deep dive into philosophy and ethics.

In this article, we’ve broken down Sir Terry Pratchett’s top three writing tips that are sure to come in handy for writers, both experienced and beginners, across genres.

Writing Tips from Sir Terry Pratchett

1. Believe In the Lies of Your Fiction

Read the full article: https://nofilmschool.com/writing-tips-from-terry-pratchett