Literary – January 25

“On the outskirts of every agony sits some observant fellow who points.” -Virginia Woolf, born this date in 1882. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which one of your protagonist’s acquaintances describes in detail his/her observations about something your protag would rather not have been noticed.

Journaling + Fiction – January 25

“Without execution, thinking is mere idleness.”Winston Churchill Journal prompt: Reflect on your previous journal entries and spend at least 20 minutes writing about something you’ve been thinking about doing but have not yet done. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist suffers a setback because s/he did not do something s/he had been procrastinating...

Big Questions – January 25

Is it better to seek job advice from people your own age or people older than you? 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...

Romance – January 25

“Few misfortunes can befall a boy which bring worse consequence than to have a really affectionate mother.” -William Somerset Maugham, born on this date in 1874. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes that her/his partner’s parental hang-ups have fatally damaged their relationship.

Mystery – January 25

“Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatsoever to do with it.”- William Somerset Maugham, born this date in 1874. Writing prompt: Write a scene that forces your protagonist to have something to do with it.

SciFi/Fantasy – January 25

“Men have an extraordinarily erroneous opinion of their position in nature.” -William Somerset Maugham, born this date in 1874. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s erroneous opinion of her/his position in nature puts someone else in mortal danger.

Secondary – January 25

The novelist W. Somerset Maugham was born on this date in 1874. He once said, “The love that lasts longest is the love that is never returned.” What do you think he meant by that?

Primary – January 25

Describe what you think about when you don’t have anything you’re supposed to be thinking about.