Literary – May 25

“It ought to make us feel ashamed when we talk like we know what we’re talking about when we talk about love.” -Raymond Carver, born this date in 1938. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist and someone s/he loves have an entire conversation about their feelings for each other while talking about something else.

Literary – May 24

“The only thing people really have in common is that they are all going to die.” -Bob Dylan, born this date in 1941. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist desperately tries to find a point of commonality with a person who resolutely defies your protag’s efforts.

Literary – May 23

On this date in 1829, Cyrill Demian received a patent for the accordion. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must sit through the excruciating music recital of a friend’s child.

Literary – May 22

Peter Matthiessen, co-founder of The Paris Review, was born on this date in 1927. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns that someone s/he believes is acting for purely altruistic and noble reasons also is acting for deceptive and conspiratorial reasons.

Literary – May 21

“Fools admire, but men of sense approve.” -Alexander Pope, born this date in 1688. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes her/his admiration has been misplaced.

Literary – May 20

“Laws are spider webs through which the big flies pass and the little ones get caught.” -Honoré de Balzac, born this date in 1799. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is punished for doing exactly the same thing for which your antagonist is rewarded.

Literary – May 19

On this date in 1897, Oscar Wilde was released after two years of hard labor in prison, his sentence for having sex with the wrong kind of person. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s friends ostracize her from a dinner conversation because they think s/he’s with the wrong kind of person.

Literary – May 18

“A stupid man’s report of what a clever man says can never be accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand.” -Bertrand Russell, born on this date in 1872. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which something perfectly sensible and inoffensive said by your protagonist causes a considerable conflict with someone your protag cares about because it was...