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Literary – February 12
“Then again, maybe I won’t.” -Judy Blume, born this date in 1938. Writing prompt: Write a scene that concludes with your protagonist doing exactly the opposite of what s/he intended when the scene opened.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – February 12
“Be curious, not judgmental.”Walt Whitman Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about the important distinctions between curiosity and judgment. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s lack of curiosity causes him/her to miss the opportunity to make a good judgment.
read moreBig Questions – February 12
What’s the best dream you’ve ever had? 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 – February 12
Franco Zeffirelli, who became a movie powerhouse after his version of Romeo and Juliet became an international sensation in 1968, was born on this date in 1923. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s stereotypes of love cause confusion and pain instead of romance.
read moreMystery – February 12
“I have learned a lot about good and evil. They are not always what they appear to be.”- Charles Van Doren, born this date in 1926. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist discovers the perpetrator of the crime is someone who had no reason to commit the crime — and every reason not to commit the crime.
read moreSciFi/Fantasy – February 12
“The impossibility of conceiving that this grand and wondrous universe, with our conscious selves, arose through chance, seems to me the chief argument for the existence of God.” – Charles Darwin, born this date in 1809. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must confront a controversial heretic and ends up learning the heretic is right and your protagonist is wrong.
read moreSecondary – February 12
“Something will be offensive to someone in every book, so you’ve got to fight it.” -Judy Blume, born on this date in 1938. Describe how you could most effectively respond to someone offended by something you like.
read morePrimary – February 12
Abraham Lincoln was born on this date in 1809. He once said, “It is not best to swap horses while crossing the river.” What does that mean to you?
read moreLiterary – February 11
Sylvia Plath committed suicide on this date in 1963, aged 30. She demonstrated her poor forecasting skills when she said, “But life is long. And it is the long run that balances the short flare of interest and passion.” Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist tries — and fails — to convince her/himself that a long life will balance a moment of agony.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – February 11
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”Willie Nelson Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about something you now consider a blessing that didn’t originally seem to be a positive development. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist refuses to see a blessing for what it is.
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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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