Literary – June 26

“Every great mistake has a halfway moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps remedied.” -Pearl S. Buck, born this date in 1892. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist knows that halfway moment is in her/his grasp but fails to seize it.

Journaling + Fiction – June 26

“The opposite to courage is not cowardice. The opposite to courage is automaton conformity.”Rollo May Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about your experience the first time you remember going along to get along. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist encounters peril because s/he conformed instead of showing courage.

Big Questions – June 26

Have your goals gotten bigger or smaller as you’ve grown older? 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...

Romance – June 26

What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way. What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you. What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way. What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you. -Chris Isaak, born this date in 1956. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s partner details wicked games your protag wasn’t even aware of...

Mystery – June 26

Greenwood swallowed the Balabomo Emerald on this date. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must make something disappear.

SciFi/Fantasy – June 26

“The planet. The whole planet.” Silence fell on this date in Doctor Who’s 2010. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is put in mortal peril after her/his favorite mode of transportation is destroyed.

Literary – June 25

“People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome.” -Eric Arthur Blair, better known as George Orwell, born this date in 1903 in India. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist misses every glaring signal that s/he is making the wrong decision.

Journaling + Fiction – June 25

“The zipper displaces the button and a man lacks just that much time to think while dressing at dawn, a philosophical hour, and thus a melancholy hour.”Ray Bradbury Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a device you thought would improve your life but made it worse. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which a device your protagonist procured to surmount a particular barrier makes overcoming...