Literary – October 8

“Lie gently and wide to the light-year stars, lie back, and the sea will hold you.” -Philip Booth, born this date in 1925. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is forced to share a meal with someone who was once a friend and became far more successful in your protag’s field of endeavor than your protag did.

Journaling + Fiction – October 8

“The world is full of people who have never, since childhood, met an open doorway with an open mind.”E.B. White Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about the most important doorway you’ve walked through since your childhood. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist refuses to cross an important threshold.

Big Questions – October 8

What would you do if you knew you had one year left to live? Journaling prompt: Spend 15-20 minutes writing your answer in the spirit of exploring yourself and the world around you. If you can answer with a simple “yes” or “no,” explain the sources or implications of your response. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene that forces a character in your story to answer the question, or spend 15-20 minutes answering...

Romance – October 8

“You have to study the people and the ones that measure up are not always the ones you expect.” -Walter Lord, born this date in 1917. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which someone your protagonist has personally and publicly written off saves your protagonist’s bacon.

Mystery – October 8

Kate “Ma” Barker was born on this date in 1873. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns the brains behind a crook is the crook’s mom.

SciFi/Fantasy – October 8

“What do you despise? By this are you truly known.”- Frank Herbert, born this date in 1920. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must confront a challenge by what s/he hates most.

Secondary – October 8

“Woe to that nation whose literature is cut short by the intrusion of force. This is not merely interference with freedom of the press but the sealing up of a nation’s heart, the excision of its memory.” -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who earned the Nobel Prize in literature on this date in 1970. Describe what you think it would be like to live in a society in which stories were...

Primary – October 8

RL Stine was born on this date in 1943. Write a scary story you can tell your family on Halloween.