Mystery – December 8

“There are two kinds of light — the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.” -James Thurber, born this date in 1894. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist confuses the two kinds of light.

Mystery – December 7

Jesse James committed his first bank robbery in Gallatin, Missouri, on this date in 1869. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist confronts a young person over a petty crime that foreshadows a life spent in criminal pursuits and ending ugly.

Mystery – December 6

“Safeguarding the rights of others is the most noble and beautiful end of a human being.” -Khalil Gibran, born on this date in 1883. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist has to decide whether to sacrifice him/herself to save someone else.

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.