Mystery – December 5

“There’s nothing like rejection to make you do an inventory of yourself.” -James Lee Burke, born this date in 1936. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist inventories his/her shortcomings after a rejection.

Mystery – December 4

Cornell Woolrich, the man who wrote more noir mysteries converted to film than anyone else, was born on this date in 1903. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist and another character analyze the answer to the question Rear Window’s Jeff must answer: Why would a man leave his apartment three times on a rainy night with a suitcase and come back three times?

Mystery – December 3

“The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.” -Joseph Conrad, born this date in 1857. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a crime makes your protagonist question his/her faith, or lack thereof.

Mystery – December 2

“There are always surprises. Life may be inveterately grim and the surprises disproportionately unpleasant, but it would be hardly worth living if there were no exceptions, no sunny days, no acts of random kindness.” -T. Coraghessan Boyle, born this date in 1948. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your antagonist gets an unpleasant surprise that eventually will turn out to be a tremendously valuable...

Mystery – December 1

“To say that man is a reasoning animal is a very different thing than to say that most of man’s decisions are based on his rational process.” -Rex Stout, author of scores of Nero Wolfe mysteries, born this date in 1886. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a character arrives at the correct solution by a series of incorrect and unreasonable assumptions.

Mystery – November 30

Celebrated mystery author and Arthur Conan Doyle biographer John Dickson Carr was born on this date in 1906. Writing prompt: In memory of the master of locked-room mystery genre, write a scene describing the circumstances of a crime that to your protagonist appears impossible to solve.  

Mystery – November 29

“Because you’re not what I would have you be, I blind myself to who, in truth, you are.” -Madeleine L’Engle, born this date in 1918. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which someone takes advantage of your protagonist’s belief that s/he is something else.

Mystery – November 28

“I can never understand how authors can write books without having animals become important characters. We share the earth with other sentient creatures and they often do a better job of living full lives than we do.” -Rita Mae Brown, born this date in 1944. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which an animal upstages your protagonist in the smarts department.