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Mystery – February 2
“I’ve done some dastardly things but what can I do except make amends and apologize?”- Stan Getz, born this date in 1927. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist expects, but does not receive, an amendment and apology for a dastardly...
read moreSciFi/Fantasy – February 2
“The king is dead; long live the king!” On this date in Katherine Kurtz’s 917, King Cinhil died and was succeeded by his son. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is forced to participate in a transition of power from an effective leader to an ineffective one.
read moreSecondary – February 2
Describe what you consider to be the current seven wonders of the world and why each is so wondrous.
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Beat Your Muse with a Club
Inc. magazine has an interesting profile of the CEO of the country’s largest independent advertising agency in its November issue. Here’s what the reporter took away: Creativity doesn’t need a muse. It needs a drill sergeant. The article is good – worth reading – but doesn’t actually spend much time going into the counterintuitive nature of that headline (my thoughts on the paradox of limitations driving creativity are here). I dug into the article because it struck me about the same way as this Jack London...
read moreLiterary – February 1
Langston Hughes, born on this date in 1902, said, “Humor is laughing at what you haven’t got when you ought to have it.” Writing prompt: Write a scene proving he’s correct.
read moreJournaling + Fiction – February 1
“There is only one duty, only one safe course, and that is to try to be right and not to fear to do or say what you believe to be right.”Winston Churchill Journal prompt: Reflect on your previous journal entries and spend at least 20 minutes writing about a moment during which you could have been braver than you were. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist creates more problems by choosing the coward’s way out than s/he would have created by demonstrating bravery.
read moreBig Questions – February 1
What’s your theory of everything? 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 1
“It is impossible to persuade a man who does not disagree, but smiles.” -Muriel Spark, born this date in 1918. Writing prompt: Write a scene proving she’s correct.
read moreMystery – February 1
“Directing is not a mystery, it’s not an art. The main thing about directing is: photograph the people’s eyes.”- John Ford, born this date in 1894. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must gauge the truthfulness of a person’s words by observing body parts and physical behaviors.
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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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