Mystery – March 2

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dearAnd it shows them pearly white.- Kurt Weill, born this date in 1900. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must accuse a lovable rogue of a terrible...

Mystery – March 1

“Should, however, my death serve for the purpose of abolishing capital punishment—such a punishment being arrived at only by circumstantial evidence—I feel that my death has not been in vain.”- Bruno Hauptmann, executed in 1936 for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh’s son on this date in 1932. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must deal with a parent whose child...

Mystery – February 28

“He lied with a smile that paralyzed reason.”- Steve Martini, born this date in 1946. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which an obviously guilty person persuades your protagonist that s/he is innocent.

Mystery – February 27

“Our inventions mirror our secret wishes.”- Lawrence Durrell, born this date in 1912. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist describes the impact of a thing s/he invented.

Mystery – February 26

“There are no easy answers, there’s only living through the questions.”- Elizabeth George, born this date in 1949. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must accomplish a difficult task with someone who comes from a significantly different socioeconomic background.

Mystery – February 25

“It’s funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you watch them on a screen.”- Anthony Burgess, born this date in 1917. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must confront the fallout of an utterly senseless, pointless act of violence.

Mystery – February 24

“Diane, it’s 4:10 in the afternoon at the scene of the crime. Here’s something we haven’t seen before: a mount of dirt. Approximately a foot and a half in diameter. On the top is a gold necklace with a gold heart. Correction, half a gold heart. At the base of the mount of dirt is a torn piece of news print. Written with the words, which appear to be in blood: ‘Fire walk with...

Mystery – February 23

“When I was reporting crime . . . I never had the sense of clockwork conspiracies, or some kind of imposing order of evil. What I sensed was things just sort of falling apart. That’s my sense of how crime works, that it’s not any kind of calculated evil driven by the devil, but just control disintegrating. Things fall apart and happen out of stupidity and carelessness.”- John Sanford, who...