Literary – June 6

Nobel laureate Thomas Mann was born on this date in 1875. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is forced to choose between work and her/his creative passion, and makes the wrong choice.

Literary – June 5

“It was like zen, but not as subtle.” -Spalding Gray, born this date in 1941. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist performs an essential act in precisely the wrong way.

Literary – June 4

Writing prompt: Write the first page of the story that follows this famous opening line, which appeared in print for the first time on this date in 1940: “In the town there were two mutes, and they were always together.”

Literary – June 3

“It isn’t enough for your heart to break because everybody’s heart is broken now.” -Allen Ginsberg, born this date in 1926. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s attempt to share some deep emotions with a friend fails because your protag’s friend plays an escalating game of one-upmanship.

Literary – June 2

“And yet to every bad there is a worse.” -Thomas Hardy, born this date in 1840. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is astonished to learn that her/his circumstances can, in fact, get worse.

Literary – June 1

“The attempt to redefine the family as a purely voluntary arrangement grows out of the modern delusion that people can keep all their options open all the time.” -Christopher Lasch, born this date in 1932. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a crucial opportunity closes to your protagonist because s/he wanted to juggle too many open options.

Literary – May 31

“There is that indescribable freshness and unconsciousness about an illiterate person that humbles and mocks the power of the noblest expressive genius.” -Walt Whitman, born on this date in 1819. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns a painful but valuable lesson from someone s/he thinks isn’t very bright.

Literary – May 30

“Honour is purchas’d by the deeds we do.” -Christopher Marlowe, who died in a brawl over an unpaid bar tab on this date in 1593. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is celebrated for a deed s/he did not want to perform.