Blog
Literary – February 8
“The only greatness for man is immortality.” -James Dean, born this date in 1931. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist reveals what s/he would like to be remembered for.
read moreJournaling + Writing – February 8
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, it’s also what it takes to sit down and listen.”Winston Churchill Journal prompt: Reflect on your previous journal entries and spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time you learned more by speaking than by listening. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist talk to disguise his/her fear.
read moreBig Questions – February 8
When was the last time you yelled at another person? 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 8
Kate Chopin, considered by many the earliest feminist author, was born on this date in 1850. When her husband died after 12 years of marriage, he left her at age 32 with six children and more than a quarter-million dollars in debt (in today’s money). Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a departing partner leaves your protagonist with the most awful possible thing.
read moreMystery – February 8
“Every time I read about Tom Sawyer, I’d go out and do something low-level naughty, just like him.”- John Grisham, born this date in 1955. Writing prompt: Write the scene of the first time your protagonist deliberately did something naughty and realized the pay-off could be positive.
read moreSciFi/Fantasy – February 8
“Liberty is worth paying for.” -Jules Verne, born this date in 1828. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must pay dearly for some form of freedom.
read moreSecondary – February 8
John Williams, whose written the music for films like Star Wars and Indiana Jones, was born on this date in 1932. Describe how movies would be different if there were no music in...
read morePrimary – February 8
“Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.” -Jules Verne, born on this date in 1828. Describe a time you made a mistake and learned something important because of it.
read moreEverything 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 Pereira Because this is such a great article, I’m not going to extract from it — you should just head on over there...
read moreLiterary – February 7
“People will buy anything that is ‘one to a customer.’ ” -Sinclair Lewis, the first Nobel literature laureate from the USA, born this date in 1885. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist pays dearly for something s/he doesn’t need.
read more
David B. Schlosser is an author of award-winning fiction and non-fiction, and an editor of award-winning fiction and non-fiction.
Read More...