Literary – September 14

Lewis, Ed, Bobby, and Drew drove into the north Georgia woods for their canoe trip on this date. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which an innocent situation turns sinister.

Journaling + Fiction – September 14

“Along with voting, jury duty, and paying taxes, goofing off is one of the central obligations of American citizenship.”Sarah Vowell Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about your favorite way to goof off. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist goofs off with a frenemy.

Big Questions – September 14

Would you dress differently than you do if you knew people did not care? 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 – September 14

“It would appear that love is dead. Or very likely in a bad way.” -Kate Millett, born this date in 1934. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is treated in a way that makes her/him utter this sentiment.

Mystery – September 14

“I’ve worked all my life to shed myself of any character.”- Sam Neill, born this date in 1947. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must shed his/her identity to play the role of someone distinctly the opposite in many ways.

SciFi/Fantasy – September 14

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.”- Justin Richards, born this date in 1961. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes that s/he is playing the part of a person doomed to die in one of the most famous stories in the world you’ve created.

Secondary – September 14

Ivan Pavlov, famous for his experiments with dogs demonstrated conditioned reflexes, was born on this date in 1849. Think about something that triggers an automatic reaction in you. What is it, what sense do you use when experiencing it, what happens when you do, and why you want to keep or get rid of it?

Primary – September 14

Author Robert McCloskey was born on this day in 1914. If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would that be any why?