In The Fugitive a doctor is accused of killing his wife. In Double Jeopardy a wife is accused of killing her husband. Both did not commit the crime they are accused of. They are both innocent. That has been a reoccurring theme in movies and literature for a very long time.

It can be a lot of fun to play with this theme. You can learn a lot by putting characters, new or already created in such an unusual situation.

You should write this prompt from one character’s point of view. This main character does not have to be accused, but they can be. They can also be a detective investigating the case, or a close friend or family member of the accused.

The story can take place at any point during the plot. You don’t have to write the whole plot arc. You could just focus on the initial accusation, or on the trial, or any other aspect of the story.

Just think of this as a 15 minutes exercise, and it is up to you whether you want to write more. You don’t even have make it clear that one of the characters is falsely accused, however it should be something that you keep in mind.

Explore this prompt, it is a good way to see how characters react under pressure.