Mystery – January 22

Grand master of LA crime writing (fiction and non) Joseph Wambaugh was born on this date in 1937. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must explore the home of a client/victim who holds diametrically opposed attitudes about class but exhibits absolutely similar tastes.

Secondary – January 22

“A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green.” –Francis Bacon, born on this date in 1561. Explain your understanding of this idea.

SciFi/Fantasy – January 22

“Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.” –Robert E. Howard, born this date in 1906. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is treated discourteously by a person your protag believes to be much...

Primary – January 22

“Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.” –Francis Bacon, born on this date in 1561. Explain why you think Bacon preferred to be wrong rather than to be confused.

Literary – January 22

On this date in 1973, the US Supreme Court invalidated state laws prohibiting abortion in its Roe v. Wade decision. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s counsel is sought by a pregnant friend desperately seeking support for a decision that runs contrary to your protag’s...

Romance – January 22

George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron — better known as the Romantic poet Lord Byron — was born on this date in 1788. His epic poem Don Juan satirized the mythical ladies’ man by revealing him as a man too easily seduced by women. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist meets someone s/he has been told is one type, but who turns out to be completely the opposite...

Literary – January 21

“We like to invent ‘what if’ scenarios — what if x had never happened, what if y had happened instead? — because we like to believe that individual decisions make a difference: that, if not for x, or if only there had been y, history might have plunged forever down a completely different path.” –Louis Menand, born this date in 1952. Writing prompt: Write your...