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

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

Greenwood swallowed the Balabomo Emerald on this date. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must make something disappear.

Mystery – June 25

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” -Eric Arthur Blair, better known as George Orwell, born in India on this date in 1903. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must choose not to tell the truth and keep his/her job or tell the truth and lose his/her job.

Mystery – June 24

A mail-bomb attack on Yale University computer science professor David Gelernter on this date in 1993 — the 15th such attack since 1978 — prompted the formation of the UNABOM task force. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is asked to examine a package believed to have an explosive in it.

Mystery – June 23

John Gotti was sentenced to life in prison on this date in 1992. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is seated in the courtroom among family members of a victim when the person your protag knows to be the victim’s killer is declared innocent by the jury.

Mystery – June 22

“I want to see these bad, bad, bad, bad men come to grips with their humanity.” -James Ellroy, who as a ten-year-old boy on this date in 1958 was told by cops that his mother had been murdered. Writing prompt: Write a scene in forcing your protagonist to confront the negative fallout of her/his success.

Mystery – June 21

On this date in 1956, Arthur Miller appeared before the House Committee on Un-American Activities and refused to name alleged communists. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist cannot get a subject to give up the name of someone your protag knows committed a treasonous transgression.