Mystery – April 11

“I don’t want to try analyzing what I do because I’m afraid that would lead me into some kind of formula. I think formulas squeeze the juice out of stories.” -Peter O’Donnell, creator of Modesty Blaise, born this date in 1920. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s formula for figuring out a run-of-the-mill problem creates a much more complicated...

Mystery – April 10

Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must confront the thing or issue that most terrifies you.

Mystery – April 9

Writing prompt: Plot the rest of the story that follows this famous opening line: “Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested.”

Mystery – April 8

The holder of Mystery Writers of America membership card number 1, Baynard H. Kendrick, was born on this date in 1894. His most famous character, Duncan Maclain, was a blind PI with two German Shepherd sidekicks, Schnuke and Driest. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a person missing at least one of the five human senses surprises your protagonist with an accurate description of an event.

Mystery – April 7

James Garner was born on this date in 1928. Writing prompt: Describe what your protagonist now does habitually or professionally that is the opposite of something that once caused him/her to get in significant trouble.

Mystery – April 6

Barry Levinson, producer of Homicide: Life on the Street, was born on this date in 1942. Writing prompt: Describe your protagonist’s typical day — the sort of life s/he has when not embroiled in your story, and remember this writing rule of thumb: If you’re writing about routine, it better not be routine writing.

Mystery – April 5

Robert Bloch was born on this date in 1917. He based his character Norman Bates on two real people: a serial killer and Bloch’s publisher. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist discovers something that prompts him/her to imagine a colleague is a psychopathic murderer.

Mystery – April 4

Anthony Perkins was born on this date in 1932. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist confronts an antagonist with mommy issues.