Mystery – August 25

“It was cold at 6:40 in the morning of a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by firing squad.”- Frederick Forsyth, born this date in 1938. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s duty makes the weather seem more extreme than it is.

Mystery – August 24

“At night we are all strangers, even to ourselves.”- Alexander McCall Smith, born this date in 1948. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which one night in particular causes your protagonist to become a stranger to him/herself.

Mystery – August 23

“Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face.”- Nelson DeMille, born this date in 1943. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist first confronts a transgressor s/he’s been searching for, but cannot believe the person actually committed the transgression.

Mystery – August 22

“Five years before the actual siege did come to their land, they even filed an affidavit with the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office, or the local courthouse, saying, ‘”‘We fear that our land will be raided, we will be forced to kill a federal agent, and in defending ourselves, all be killed,’ which is a shockingly accurate prophecy of what was to come five years later.”-...

Mystery – August 21

“Eliminate the impossible. Then if nothing remains, some part of the ‘impossible’ was possible.”- Anthony Boucher, born this date in 1911. Writing prompt: Set up a locked-room mystery your protagonist cannot solve without help from someone your protagonist does not trust.

Mystery – August 20

“I was dying long before the night I killed my parents.”- Erik Menendez, who with his bother Lyle murdered their parents on this date in 1989. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a third-degree-of-separation witness tries to convince your protagonist of an unlikely explanation for a crime.

Mystery – August 19

“A bullet to the front of the head demonstrates good marksmanship. A bullet to the back of the head demonstrates good judgement.”- John Wesley Hardin, murdered this date in 1895. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist intercedes on behalf of a person who killed a person that needed killing.

Mystery – August 18

“Set a thief to catch a thief.” David F. Dodge was born on this date in 1910. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must persuade the authorities that s/he didn’t commit a crime that resembles in every detail your protagonist’s style.