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Literary – January 10
Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon on this date in 49 BC. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist intentionally crosses a family member or close friend’s bright line of trust.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – January 10
“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”William Shakespeare Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a moment of need when you did not show sufficient kindness to yourself. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s kindness is repaid with hostility.
read moreBig Questions – January 10
How has the world most changed in the past 10 years? Journaling prompt: Spend 15-20 minutes writing your answer in the spirit of exploring yourself and the world around you. If you can answer with a simple “yes” or “no,” explain the sources or implications of your response. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene that forces a character in your story to answer the question, or spend 15-20 minutes answering the question in the voice of a character you want to know more about. Photo from Unsplash, the internet’s source of freely-usable...
read moreRomance – January 10
On this date in 1845, Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett began corresponding after Elizabeth received the following note from Robert: “I love you.” Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must decide on and execute the best strategy for using her/his one chance to earn the attention of a partner who is unaware of your protag’s existence.
read moreMystery – January 10
“Let me tell ya something. Nowadays, everybody’s gotta go to shrinks, and counselors, and go on ‘Sally Jessy Raphael’ and talk about their problems. What happened to Gary Cooper? The strong, silent type. That was an American. He wasn’t in touch with his feelings. He just did what he had to do.”- Tony Soprano, who premiered on this date in 1999. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s feelings prevent him from doing what he has to do.
read moreSciFi/Fantasy – January 10
“The human mind searches for cause and effect, always; and we all prefer the weird and thrilling to the dull and commonplace as an answer.” – Jack Finney, in whose 1956 a man was shot and killed on this date by a gun that had been discovered the day before and remained locked in a New York City police department safe. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is attacked by an opponent with a weapon that is impossible for that opponent to possess.
read moreSecondary – January 10
“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.” -Thomas Paine in Common Sense, published on this date in 1776. Explain why you think Paine is correct or incorrect.
read morePrimary – January 10
“From the errors of other nations, let us learn wisdom.” -Thomas Paine in Common Sense, published on this date in 1776. Describe the most important less you’ve learned from someone else’s mistake.
read moreLiterary – January 9
“The word love has by no means the same sense for both sexes, and this is one cause of the serious misunderstandings that divide them.” -Simone-Lucie-Ernestine-Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir, born this date in 1908. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which different understandings of the same word cause a final falling out between your protagonist and a dear relative or friend.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – January 9
“What is to give light must endure burning.”Viktor Frankl Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a project or subject about which you have not been sufficiently persistent. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist gives up too soon.
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David B. Schlosser is an author of award-winning fiction and non-fiction, and an editor of award-winning fiction and non-fiction.
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