Mystery – October 22

“I always say that bad women are fewer than men, but when you get one, they’re fascinating because they’re so rotten.” -Ann Rule, born this date in 1935. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist changes his/her opinion about a female wrongdoer.

Mystery – October 21

“If it doesn’t make sense, it’s not true.” — Judith Sheindlin, born this date in 1942. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which the truth makes no sense to your protagonist.

Mystery – October 20

“The two women exchanged the kind of glance women use when no knife is handy.” -Half of Ellery Queen, Daniel Nathan (aka Frederic Dannay), born this date in 1905. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist finds him/herself between these two women.

Mystery – October 19

“You just don’t know writers. They’ll use anything, anybody. They’ll eat their own young.” -Philip Marlow in The Singing Detective as portrayed by Michael Gambon, born on this date in 1940. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist gets embroiled in a dispute between an authority and the authority’s child.

Mystery – October 18

Lee Harvey Oswald was born on this date in 1939. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist discovers that someone who everyone thought capable of nothing except screwing up has actually pulled off the crime of the century.

Mystery – October 17

“Integrity is something you sell the public.” -Walter Chalmers in Bullitt, which premiered on this date in 1968. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a superior orders your protagonist to violate your protag’s integrity.

Mystery – October 16

Alafair Burke was born on this date in 1969. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is invited to a home from which every single thing has been stolen.

Mystery – October 15

Melanie Daniels: On Mondays and Wednesdays I work for the Travelers Aid at the airport. Mitch Brenner: Helping travelers? Melanie Daniels: No, misdirecting them. Salvatore Lombino — better known as Evan Hunter, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, Richard Marsten, and the prolific Ed McBain — born this date in 1926, wrote these lines in the script for Hitchcock’s The Birds. Writing prompt:...