Mystery – June 1

“Don’t do something you won’t live to regret.” -Robert McCall as portrayed by Edward Woodward, born this date in 1930. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must risk his/her life to save another’s.

Mystery – May 31

“We boil at different degrees.” -Clint Eastwood, born on this date in 1930. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is brought to her/his boiling point by someone whose threshold is much higher.

Mystery – May 30

On this date in 1806, future US President Andrew Jackson dueled with and killed Charles Dickinson,  who had insulted Jackson’s wife. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist has to persuade two people intent on fighting that it’s not such a hot idea.

Mystery – May 29

“Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property, that they may more perfectly respect it.” -GK Chesterton, born on this date in 1874, in The Man Who Was Thursday. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must listen to a chatterbox thief justifying her/his theft in terms your protag finds abominably offensive.

Mystery – May 28

“You only live twice. Once when you are born and once when you look death in the face.” -Ian Fleming, born on this date in 1908. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist looks death in the face.

Mystery – May 27

“Being Indian is not blood as much as it is culture.” -Tony Hillerman, born this date in 1925. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist meets for the first time a partner who appears to be one thing and turns out to be something utterly unlike that.

Mystery – May 26

“Retrospective analysis is not a useful guide to current problems.” -David Ignatius, born this date in 1950. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist fails to resolve a critical problem because s/he can’t stop analyzing how s/he failed to resolve it before.

Mystery – May 25

“I have always preferred conflict of individuals over the battle of extreme ideologies.” -Robert Ludlum, bourne on this date in 1927. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist and antagonist try to have a conversation that is ultimately fruitless because your protag wants to talk about people and your antag wants to talk about ideas.