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Romance – January 17
Eartha Kitt — called by Orson Welles the “most exciting woman in the world” — was born on this date in 1927. Her most famous song: Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns that a sugar daddy/momma’s generosity is not as extravagant as your protag has grown to believe it is.
read moreMystery – January 17
Al Capone was born on this date in 1899. His vast criminal empire was brought down by his failure to pay taxes. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your antagonist’s downfall occurs because of something relatively insignificant.
read moreSciFi/Fantasy – January 17
“The incapacity of sound sleep denotes a mind sorely wounded.” -Charles Brockden Brown, the first American gothic novelist, born this date in 1771. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist can’t sleep.
read moreSecondary – January 17
“So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for every thing one has a mind to do.” -Benjamin Franklin, born on this date in 1706. Explain whether being reasonable in Franklin’s sense is a good quality.
read morePrimary – January 17
“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” -Benjamin Franklin, born on this date in 1706. Tell a story about a time someone you thought had a good reputation lost it.
read moreLiterary – January 16
“As photographs give people an imaginary possession of a past that is unreal, they also help people to take possession of space in which they are insecure.” -Susan Sontag, born this date in 1933. Writing prompt: Write the scene during which the photograph most important to your protagonist was taken.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – January 16
“Integrity is the essence of everything successful.”R. Buckminster Fuller Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about your experience or observation of an important project’s failure due to integrity problems. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which a lack of integrity endangers your protagonist.
read moreBig Questions – January 16
Who most deserves forgiveness at this moment? 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 – January 16
“The only interesting answers are those which destroy the questions.” – Susan Sontag, born this date in 1933. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a person’s answer to your protagonist’s question reveals that your protagonist curiosity was dangerously misplaced.
read moreMystery – January 16
“Artists are always good for conversation, so long as you want to talk about their art.” -Craig Johnson, born this date in 1961. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist tries to have a conversation with someone who wants to talk about anything else.
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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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