Mystery – July 3

“In the fight between you and the world, back the world.”- Franz Kafka, born this date in 1883. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist gives up.

Mystery – July 2

“In that moment, he said to me, ‘Mommy, they’re going to kill Andrés.’ I replied: ‘No sweetheart, people aren’t killed for mistakes. Everyone in Colombia loves Andrés.’” On this date in 1994, El Caballero del Fútbol was shot to death after scoring an own goal for the USA. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist discovers an unexpectedly irrelevant motive for a...

Mystery – July 1

“What you will be privileged to witness will not be an interrogation, but an act of salesmanship — as silver-tongued and thieving as ever moved used cars, Florida swampland, or Bibles. But what I am selling is a long prison term, to a client who has no genuine use for the product.”- Det. Frank Pembleton, embodied for six years on Homicide: Life on the Streets (predecessor to The Wire), as...

Mystery – June 30

“I work as hard as a man. I earn money like a man; I bear the burdens of Community like a man. I am robbed as a woman! I have no voice in anything or in saying how my money, which I have earned, shall be spent. The men of Illinois and the United States run their hands into my pockets, take out my hard-earned money, and say impertinently, ‘What are you going to do about it, you can’t help...

Mystery – June 29

“Once that ugliness has been forced into you, it becomes part of your blood, dilutes it, races through your heart and back out again, staining everything as it goes. The ugliness never goes away, never comes out, no matter what you do.”- Dennis Lehane’s Patrick Kenzie, who woke in a stranger’s apartment on this date. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist uncovers a much...

Mystery – June 28

“Propaganda always begins with words, but soon it proceeds to deeds. When there are no facts to support lies, facts must be made.”- Eric Ambler, born this date in 1909. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a superior orders your protagonist to make facts that support lies.

Mystery – June 27

“Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.”- Alan Turing On this date in 1940, the German military began communicating in code using its Enigma machines to encrypt messages. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist becomes responsible for preventing a crime using only an encoded message between the conspirators.

Mystery – June 26

“Everything goes smoothly.”- John Dortmunder, whose colleague Alan Greenwood swallowed the Balabomo Emerald on this date. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must make something disappear.