Mystery – November 17

“I love studying Ancient History and seeing how empires rise and fall, sowing the seeds of their own destruction.” -Martin Scorsese, born this date in 1942. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist makes a choice that will later cause his/her downfall.

Mystery – November 16

“I used to ask for an easy life, now I ask to be strong.” -William Kent Krueger, born on this date in 1950. Writing prompt: Write the aphorism your protagonist would use shortly before dying to describe what s/he learned during the course of her/his life.

Mystery – November 15

On this date in 1959, the Clutter family was killed in cold blood in Holcomb, Kansas. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist suffers a criminal act that occurs entirely because the criminal believes incorrectly that your protag has something your protag doesn’t have.

Mystery – November 14

“Ignorance is always afraid of change.” -Jawaharlal Nehru, born on this date in 1889. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist proves her/his ignorance by rejecting an important change.

Mystery – November 13

Vera Caspary, the author of the play she turned into the novel which was turned into the movie Laura, was born on this date in 1899. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is more attracted to someone literally unattainable than to anyone else.

Mystery – November 12

Christopher Reich was born on this date in 1961. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a petty crime leads your protagonist to suspect a greater financial crime is being covered up.

Mystery – November 11

Belle Gunness, after her birth on this date in 1859, immigrated to the United States in 1881 and proceeded to murder more than 40 people — mostly wealthy lovelorn men she lured to her farm through personals ads — and then disappeared without trace. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist discovers an elderly person against whom a crime has been committed is a long-sought criminal...

Mystery – November 10

Newspapers reported that 36 copies of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five were burned in North Dakota on this date in 1973. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is faced with something that is not a crime, but should be.