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Literary – April 2
“If you shut up truth, and bury it underground, it will but grow.” -Émile Zola, born this date in 1840. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a lie your protagonist told, or a truth your protag buried, long ago is exposed with far greater consequences than if your protag had dealt with the issue at the time.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – April 2
“Learn as if you were to live forever.”Mahatma Gandhi Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a topic you want to learn more about before you die. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist tries to teach a valuable lesson to someone who doesn’t care to learn it.
read moreBig Questions – April 2
What’s the most useful object in your home? 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 – April 2
“The sweetest pleasures are those which are hardest to be won.” -Giacomo Casanova, born this date in 1725. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes that a romantic partner’s unacceptable behavior will not change.
read moreMystery – April 2
“It is a crime to lie to the public, to twist public opinion to insane lengths in the service of the vilest death-dealing machinations. It is a crime to poison the minds of the meek and the humble, to stoke the passions of reactionism and intolerance, by appealing to that odious anti-Semitism that, unchecked, will destroy the freedom-loving France of the Rights of Man. It is a crime to exploit patriotism in the service of hatred, and it is, finally, a crime to ensconce the sword as the modern god, whereas all science is toiling to...
read moreSciFi/Fantasy – April 2
“I’m getting too old for this sort of thing.” – “Obi-Wan ‘Ben’ Kenobi,” born this date in 1914 and dead in the year 2000, miserable he would be remembered for Star Wars instead of his many other roles. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist does something entirely out of character for which s/he will be remembered more than anything else.
read moreSecondary – April 2
“If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.” -Émile Zola, born this date in 1840. Explain what living out loud means to you.
read morePrimary – April 2
Hans Christian Andersen was born on this date in 1805. His birthday is commemorated as International Children’s Book Day. Explain why your favorite story is so important to you.
read moreLiterary – April 1
“When you want to fool the world, tell the truth.” -Otto von Bismarck, born this date in 1815. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which circumstances conspire to prevent your protagonist from believing the truth.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – April 1
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”Edith Wharton Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about an opportunity you could seize right now to amplify the impact of a person or group that’s spreading light. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist gets burned while spreading light.
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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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