Romance – January 13

Lorrie Moore was born on this date in 1957. One of her characters decides she was not “given the proper tools to make a real life with.” Writing prompt: Write the scene in which your protagonist confronts her/his mother or father, or both, about the tool your protagonist incorrectly  believes s/he wasn’t given.

Romance – January 12

“Whatever it is you’re seeking won’t come in the form you’re expecting.” -Haruki Murakami, born this date in 1949. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes s/he failed to find what s/he was seeking because it came unexpectedly.

Romance – January 11

Rupert Holmes’ Escape — better known as “the piña colada song” — topped the charts on this date in 1980. Writing prompt: Write a personals ad for your protagonist that does not exceed 60...

Romance – January 10

On this date in 1845, Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett began corresponding after Elizabeth received the following note from Robert: “I love you.” Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must decide on and execute the best strategy for using her/his one chance to earn the attention of a partner who is unaware of your protag’s existence.

Romance – January 9

“If you lose your heart to something that is wrong for you, you can return it.” – Judith Krantz, born this date in 1928. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist loses her/his heart to something or someone that s/he can’t return.

Romance – January 8

“The people who lie the most are nearly always the clumsiest at it, and they’re easier to fool with lies than most people, too. You’d think they’d be on the look-out for lies, but they seem to be the very ones that will believe almost anything at all.” -Dashiell Hammett in The Thin Man, his last novel, published on this date in 1934. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist catches...

Romance – January 7

The Avengers (no, the original) premiered in England on this date in 1961. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must maintain a strictly professional relationship with a person your protagonist finds irresistibly sexy.

Romance – January 6

“What most people think of as history is its end product, myth.” – EL Doctorow, born this date in 1931. Writing prompt: Describe an event in your protagonist’s life as it actually occurred, and then as your protagonist has mythologized it.