Romance – May 6

“If I am the phantom, it is because man’s hatred has made me so. If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me.” -Gaston Leroux, born this date in 1868. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is criticized for caring about someone everyone else considers unlovable.

Romance – May 5

“Dress is a great weapon in the hands of a woman if rightly applied. It is a weapon men lack, so women should make the most of it.” -Nellie Bly, born this date in 1864. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist pretends to be someone else to discover an important truth.

Romance – May 4

“I’d marry you for your money in a minute. Would you marry me for my money?” -Audrey Hepburn, born this date in 1929. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which an unexpected person falls in love with your protagonist in spite of — rather than because of — what your protagonist is.

Romance – May 3

“I’ve often wondered how people raised in our great cities ever develop any knowledge of humankind. People who grow up in small towns get to know each other so much more closely than they do in cities.” -William Inge, born this date in 1913. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which proximity to neighbors causes your protagonist to believe s/he is known far more closely than your protag...

Romance – May 2

“The king has been very good to me. He promoted me from a simple maid to be a marchioness. Then he raised me to be a queen. Now he will raise me to be a martyr.” -Anne Boleyn, arrested and imprisoned for treason, incest, and adultery this date in 1536. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes s/he is going to get dumped for exactly the qualities and characteristics that initially...

Romance – May 1

“Only one thing to it: a strong stomach. The guts to gladhand a man you’re going to stab in the back; pledge allegiance to principles you stomp on every day; righteously denounce some despot in the press and sell him arms under the table.” Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro premiered on this date in 1786. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist and a confidant conspire to expose...

Romance – April 30

“It could be that our faithlessness is a cowering cowardice born of our very smallness, a massive failure of imagination…. If we were to judge nature by common sense or likelihood, we wouldn’t believe the world existed.” -Annie Dillard, born this date in 1945. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist refuses to believe what is obvious because it makes no sense to...

Romance – April 29

Writing prompt: Outline the story that precedes this famous closing line: “Tell me how free I am.”