Literary – April 9

On this date in 1833, the USA’s first tax-supported public library was founded in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Writing prompt: Write a scene that allows your protagonist to contrast his/her attitude about libraries at age 6 and age 36.

Journaling + Fiction – April 9

“Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it.”Irving Berlin Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about an even that at the time seemed important or signficant about which you now have a different perspective. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist fails to persuade a loved one to put a relatively minor event into perspective.

Big Questions – April 9

What did you do the last time you felt as if you had no one to talk with? 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...

Romance – April 9

“The major civilizing force in the world is not religion, it is sex.” – Hugh Hefner, born this date in 1926. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns that her/his partner is more interested in pornography than your protag.

Mystery – April 9

Writing prompt: Plot the rest of the story that follows this famous opening line: “Someone must have been telling lies about Josef K., he knew he had done nothing wrong but, one morning, he was arrested.”

SciFi/Fantasy – April 9

“Strangeness is a necessary ingredient in beauty.” – Charles Baudelaire, born this date in 1821. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist contemplates a small element of nature that appears in a location it doesn’t belong.

Secondary – April 9

The US Civil War ended on this date in 1865 when Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Describe your opinions about an issue you consider so important that you would go to war against your own family if they were on the other side of that issue.

Primary – April 9

Write about a time when you acted out something you read in a book or saw on TV or in a movie.