Literary – October 15

“It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them.” -PG Wodehouse, born this date in 1881. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s apology goes disastrously wrong.

Literary – October 14

“Be of love a little more careful than of anything.” -e.e. cummings, born this date in 1894. Writing prompt: Write the scene in which your protagonist first learned this lesson.

Literary – October 13

“All my humor is based upon destruction and despair. If the whole world were tranquil, without disease and violence, I’d be standing on the breadline right in back of J. Edgar Hoover.” -Lenny Bruce, born this date in 1925. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist interprets tranquility as destruction.

Literary – October 12

“You don’t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid’s burnt socks lying in the road.” -Richard Price, born this date in 1949. Writing prompt: Describe from your protagonist’s point of view and in your protag’s voice the most life-altering image s/he has ever encountered.

Literary – October 11

“If you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads, but what he rereads.” -François Mauriac, born this date in 1885. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must defend regularly rereading a particular book.

Literary – October 10

“There are some things one remembers even though they may never have happened.” -Harold Pinter, born this date in 1930. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist relates an important memory to someone who denies it ever happened.