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Journaling + Fiction – January 13
“Value judgments are destructive to our proper business, which is curiosity and awareness.”John Cage Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about an experience in which you were judged inaccurately or unfairly. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is judged unfairly or inaccurately by a person in a position of authority.
read moreBig Questions – January 13
Are we smart enough to know how smart animals are? 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 13
Lorrie Moore was born on this date in 1957. One of her characters decides she was not “given the proper tools to make a real life with.” Writing prompt: Write the scene in which your protagonist confronts her/his mother or father, or both, about the tool your protagonist incorrectly believes s/he wasn’t given.
read moreMystery – January 13
“Nouns and verbs are the guts of the language. Beware of covering up with adjectives and adverbs.” -A.B. Guthrie, Jr., born this date in 1901. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist suspects a person is covering up a crime because of that person’s flowery language.
read moreSciFi/Fantasy – January 13
“The hideous knowledge, the horror-blackened memories which I have carried so long, were never meant to be borne by the human intellect.” -Clark Ashton Smith, born this date in 1893. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist experiences something that creates a memory no intellect should bear.
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Primary – January 13
The Frisbee was developed on this date in 1957, and was originally marketed as the “Pluto Platter” to capitalize on the US obsession with flying saucers, or UFOs. Why do you think there are or are not people on other planets who might visit us?
read moreLiterary – January 12
“There ain’t no journey what don’t change you some.” -David Mitchell, born this date in 1969. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist describes to a stranger how your protag changed as a result of her/his most memorable journey.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – January 12
“Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just.”Victor Hugo Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time you had to choose between being good and being fair. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is treated unjustly by a person doing good.
read moreBig Questions – January 12
What achievement do you most strive for? 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...
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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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