Romance – November 3

“Women have the right to mount the scaffold; they must also have the right to mount the speaker’s platform.” -Olympe de Gouges, executed on a scaffold by guillotine on this date in 1793. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s right to free speech gets her/him into a spot of bother.

Romance – November 2

“We’s all poor nuts and things happen, and we just get mixed in wrong, that’s all.” – Eugene O’Neill in Anna Christie, which premiered on this date in 1921. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes all the poor nuts surrounding her/him think s/he is the poorest nut of all.

Romance – November 1

“To be more precise it was the color of heartache.” -Susanna Clarke, born this date in 1959. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist, alone, paints a room the color of heartache.

Romance – October 31

“If you had really loved something, wouldn’t a little bit of it always linger?” -Susan Orlean, born this date in 1955. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist destroys a memento that represents such lingering.

Romance – October 30

“A pig resembles a saint in that he is more honored after death than during his lifetime.” -Irma Rombauer, born this date in 1877. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which everyone expects your protagonist to do something s/he hates to do simply because of her/his gender.

Romance – October 29

Writing prompt: Write the scene of your protagonist’s most paralyzingly terrifying mistake during high school.

Romance – October 28

“You know it’s love when all you want is that person to be happy, even if you’re not part of their happiness.” -Julia Roberts, born this date in 1967. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist sacrifices her/his happiness for someone s/he loves.

Romance – October 27

“Kiss me and you will see how important I am.” -Sylvia Plath, born this date in 1932. Writing prompt: Write the scene in which your protagonist first realized the truth of this challenge.