Literary – April 28

“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” -Harper Lee, born this date in 1926. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist goes along with the majority even though his/her conscience demands otherwise.

Journaling + Fiction – April 28

“She knows herself to be at the mercy of events, and she knows by now that events have no mercy.”Margaret Atwood Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about how you responded in a moment when you had no control over the situation. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which fate befalls your protagonist.

Big Questions – April 28

What do you care what other people think? 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 the question in the...

Romance – April 28

“I was his oldest friend, and I did something Truman could not forgive: I wrote a novel that sold. He nursed his envy for more than 20 years.” -Harper Lee, born this date in 1926. Writing prompt: Write a scene that demonstrates your protagonist’s deep emotional connection to a gay character of the opposite gender.

Mystery – April 28

“It seemed to him a very Edinburgh thing. Welcoming, but not very.”- Ian Rankin, born this date in 1960. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is told s/he is being treated one way when s/he is, in reality, being treated very differently.

SciFi/Fantasy – April 28

“Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.”- Terry Pratchett, born this date in 1948. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s fanciful tale is mistaken for fact.

Secondary – April 28

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” -Harper Lee, born on this date in 1926. Consider the person in your life who is most different than you, and describe yourself from that person’s point of view.

Primary – April 28

On this date in 1930, the first night game in organized baseball history was played in Independence, Kansas. Describe how your life would be different if you couldn’t do things after dark.