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Literary – March 20
“It’s the choosing that’s important, isn’t it?” -Lois Lowry, born this date in 1937. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which the act of making a choice is more important to your protagonist than the choice or its outcome.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – March 20
“Vitality is radiated from exceptional art and architecture.”Arthur Erickson Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about the first time you remember being affected by your experience of another person’s creative expression. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes that someone s/he cares about does not share your protagonist’s enthusiasm for a work of creative expression.
read moreBig Questions – March 20
What’s the best way to spend a few hours with someone you love? 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...
read moreRomance – March 20
Henrik Ibsen, born this date in 1828, wrote “the door slam heard around the world” as the conclusion to A Doll’s House, his play about a woman trapped in an unsatisfying marriage. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist responds to the very last straw.
read moreMystery – March 20
“That’s not the way we operate around here. We do everything by the book, according to regulations, above board.”- Hal Linden, portraying New York City police precinct captain Barney Miller, born this date in 1931. Writing prompt: Write a scene allowing your protagonist to make abundantly clear his/her opinion of a bureaucracy that exerts enormous influence over your protagonist’s life.
read moreSciFi/Fantasy – March 20
“There’s no defense against betrayal, and we all betray ourselves.” Alfred Bester’s Six Month War began on this date. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must defeat a foe with one more sense than your protagonist possesses.
read moreSecondary – March 20
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published for the first time on this date in 1852. President Lincoln famously referred to her as the author of the Civil War because of the impact her book had on society. If you could write a story that would have a similar effect, what story would you choose to tell?
read morePrimary – March 20
The Roman poet known as Ovid was born on this date in 43 BC. He believed, “A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man’s brow.” Think about a time someone you respect didn’t like a new idea of yours, and write about what happened and how it made you feel.
read moreLiterary – March 19
“Memories of the past are not memories of facts but memories of your imaginings of the facts.” -Philip Roth, born this date in 1933. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s memories cause her/him to utterly misinterpret something that’s completely clear to everyone else.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – March 19
“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”Sylvia Plath Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing without doubt about your most exciting creative idea. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must overcome crippling self-doubt to achieve an essential goal.
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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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