Literary – February 23

Samuel Pepys, one of history’s most noted diarists, was born on this date in 1633. Writing prompt: Write your protagonist’s personal journal entry for her or his most important birthday.

Journaling + Fiction – February 23

“It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.”Aristotle Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time you did the wrong thing for the right reasons. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist does the right thing for the wrong reasons.

Big Questions – February 23

What has made you contemplate taking your own life? 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...

Romance – February 23

“Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody.” -Samuel Pepys, born this date in 1633. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a meal intended to be a reconciliation turns into a new source of conflict.

Mystery – February 23

“When I was reporting crime . . . I never had the sense of clockwork conspiracies, or some kind of imposing order of evil. What I sensed was things just sort of falling apart. That’s my sense of how crime works, that it’s not any kind of calculated evil driven by the devil, but just control disintegrating. Things fall apart and happen out of stupidity and carelessness.”- John Sanford, who...

SciFi/Fantasy – February 23

“Nothing happens In contradiction to nature — only in contradiction to what we know of it.” – Dana Scully, born this date in 1964. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a scrupulous skeptic makes merciless fun of your protagonist’s explanation for an apparently inexplicable phenomenon.

Secondary – February 23

Paul Tibbets, pilot of the Enola Gay on the flight that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, was born on this date in 1915. Describe a situation in which you were conflicted about the rightness of a thing you were told to do.

Primary – February 23

Wizard of Oz director Victor Fleming was born on this date in 1889. Write a story about why you think there’s no place like home.