Mystery – September 24

Three Days of the Condor, a film based on James Grady’s book Six Days of the Condor, premiered on this date in 1975. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes s/he cannot trust anyone.

Mystery – September 23

Matlock premiered on this date in 1986. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist plays dumb to get what s/he needs.

Mystery – September 22

On this date in 1975, US President Gerald Ford survived a second assassination attempt, this one by revolutionary Sara Jane Moore after Manson Family member Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme failed to load a cartridge into her semi-automatic Colt just 17 days before. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must complete a task for someone a lot of people want to kill although several previous...

Mystery – September 21

Television premieres on this date included Perry Mason (1957), Adam-12 (1968), and NYPD Blue (1993) featuring Det. Andy Sipowicz, who once told a suspect, “You got a lot of morons in your family? ‘Cause that could be genetic.” Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist tries to get information from a person who has an IQ that reminds your protag that half the people in the country are...

Mystery – September 20

Television premieres on this date include Hawaii Five-O (1968), Vega$ (1978), and Spenser: For Hire (1985). Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist finally gets fed up with hearing a colleague’s stupid catch-phrase.

Mystery – September 19

“Travel broadens, they say. My personal experience has been that, in the short term at any rate, it merely flattens, aiming its steam-roller of deadlines and details straight at one’s daily life, leaving a person flat and gasping at its passage.” -Laurie R. King, born this date in 1952. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist packs for a trip s/he doesn’t want to...

Mystery – September 18

“Missed it by that much.” -Maxwell Smart, who premiered in Get Smart on this date in 1965. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must explain a dramatic failure to a superior.

Mystery – September 17

“Both our opinions are rooted in our experience,” I said. “Both of them are true, it’s just that we’ve had different experiences.” -Robert B. Parker, born this date in 1932. Writing prompt: Describe the same inciting incident in the voices of your protagonist and your antagonist.