Literary – August 17

“We may freak out globally, but we suffer locally.” -Jonathan Franzen, born this date in 1959. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s distress about a global issue drives him/her to do something that’s personally painful.

Literary – August 16

“Happiness is the light on the water. The water is cold and dark and deep.” -William Keepers Maxwell, Jr., long-time fiction editor at The New Yorker, born this date in 1908. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must display a sunny exterior to conceal her/his internal disposition.

Literary – August 15

“O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!” -Walter Scott, born this date in 1771. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist tells a little white lie that cascades into an increasing stream of uncontrollable lies.

Literary – August 14

Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must resist the temptation s/he considers most dangerous.

Literary – August 13

“From a distance, it makes perfect sense that the people and the things you think will save you are the very ones that have the power to disappoint you most bitterly, but up close it can hit you as a bewildering surprise.” -Tom Perrotta, born this date in 1961. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is disappointed by the only person your protag believes never could do so.

Literary – August 12

“You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” -William Goldman, born this date in 1931. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s improper use of a word creates a misunderstanding that threatens an important relationship.

Literary – August 11

“Shyness has a strange element of narcissism, a belief that how we look, how we perform, is truly important to other people.” -Andre Dubus II, born this date in 1936. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is crippled by the belief that other people care about what your protag is saying or doing in the scene.

Literary – August 10

“This is why no one lets you make the plans.” -Suzanne Collins, born this date in 1962. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns that his/her strategy to make an important trip from one location to another, better location is completely inadequate.