Literary – February 23

Samuel Pepys, one of history’s most noted diarists, was born on this date in 1633. Writing prompt: Write your protagonist’s diary entry for her or his most important birthday.

Romance – February 23

“Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody.” -Samuel Pepys, born on this date in 1633. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a meal intended to be a reconciliation turns into a new source of conflict.

Mystery – February 23

Best-selling novelist John Sanford — who is also Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Roswell Camp — was born on this date in 1944. He compares the two disciplines: “When I was reporting crime … I never had the sense of clockwork conspiracies, or some kind of imposing order of evil. What I sensed was things just sort of falling apart. That’s my sense of how crime works, that...

SciFi/Fantasy – February 23

Dana Scully was born on this date in 1964. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a scrupulous skeptic makes merciless fun of your protagonist’s explanation for an apparently inexplicable phenomenon.

Everything you write makes you a better writer.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jane Friedman at a Writer’s Digest program; she’s since left that august publication and joined Virginia Quarterly Review. Lucky for all of us, she still offers terrific advice to writers on her web site. I found this post particularly useful as we head into National Novel Writing Month:   3 Steps for Using Prompts to Write Better & Get Published By Gabriela...

Literary – February 22

“The longest absence is less perilous to love than the terrible trials of incessant proximity.” -Edna St. Vincent Millay, born on this date in 1892. Writing prompt: Write a scene proving familiarity breeds contempt.

Romance – February 22

Writing prompt: Write the scene in which your protagonist receives the worst birthday gift ever.