Written by May 29th, 2014

Writing Prompt: Mad Scientist

Mad Scientists are an established stereotype now and they appear in movies, in TV shows, and books. It is usually hard to take them seriously. Still, they manage to be an enticing theme and many people play with the audience’s expectations.

In the TV show Fringe, one of the main characters, Walter, was a mad scientist. He had invented and done many terrible things. However, he was one of the protagonists of the TV show, and one of its most beloved characters. He was so compelling because he managed to be both intelligent and helpless, and in turn he was both witty and witless because part of his brain was missing.

This is your turn to create a mad scientist. Your character can behave in any way you desire and you can craft all the details. The only thing that has to be true is that your main character must be a mad scientist. This prompt is mostly a character study, so the plot is not as important as the creation of the character, so really focus on creating a compelling mad scientist.

Happy Writing!

 

We Send You Publishers Seeking Submissions.

Sign up for our free e-magazine and we will send you reviews of publishers seeking short stories, poetry, essays, and books.

Subscribe now and we'll send you a free copy of our book Submit, Publish, Repeat

45 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for March 2026

45 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for March 2026

▾ Filter listings Fiction Poetry Contest Essay ✕ Showing all These are themed calls and contests for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from 45 outlets; a couple of the outlets are open for more than one call. Some of the call themes are: strange Dear John; reverse evaluation; maps; bad science; the aftermath; pandora; vegetal; birthday;…

Cool Springs Press

Cool Springs Press

Cool Springs Press was founded in Nashville more than 30 years ago. They initially only focused on gardening in Tennessee and the region surrounding it. However they were successful and started to expand even before they were acquired by The Quarto Publishing Group. Quarto incorporated its existing line of DIY focused book into Cool Springs…

White City Press: Accepting Manuscript Submissions

White City Press: Accepting Manuscript Submissions

White City Press is focused on publishing mysteries across a range of sub-genres. They are currently open to cross-genre mysteries (for example scifi/mystery) as long as mystery is the key element. They are also open to mysteries aimed at young adult and new adult readers, as well as mysteries with protagonists over the age of…

Notes from the Editor’s Desk: February 2026

Notes from the Editor’s Desk: February 2026

Phaidon's Owner Implicated in the Epstein Files; Writing Workshop Instructors Wanted; 4 Submission Calls.