SciFi/Fantasy – November 18

“The truly fearless think of themselves as normal.” -Two-time Arthur C. Clarke Award recipient Margaret Atwood, born on this date in 1939. Writing prompt: Describe in your protagonist’s voice what’s “normal” in the world you’ve built that would terrify people in ours.

SciFi/Fantasy – November 17

Simeon Krug’s tower will reach a height of 500 meters on this date in Robert Silverberg’s 2218. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist responds self-destructively after being disabused of a favored notion.

SciFi/Fantasy – November 16

Born on this date in 1907, Burgess Meredith starred in an episode of The Twilight Zone titled “Time Enough at Last,” which was based on a short story by Lyn Venable. In the story, Meredith plays an obsessive and nearsighted reader who frets that he’ll never have enough time to read all the books he wants to read. When he becomes the sole survivor of a global holocaust, he rejoices that he’ll...

SciFi/Fantasy – November 15

“I would sum up my fear about the future in one word: boring.” -JG Ballard, born this date in 1930. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is forced to confront her/his greatest fear about the future.

SciFi/Fantasy – November 14

“And they lived horribly ever after, scaring the socks off all who fell afoul of them.” -William Steig, born this date in 1907. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns s/he owes an unpayable debt a terrifyingly ugly something or someone.

SciFi/Fantasy – November 13

On this date in 1974, the DeFeo family was massacred in Long Island. A year later, the Lutz family moved into their home, but moved out a month later in a story we now know as the Amityville Horror. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is forced to spend the night in a place everyone considers haunted by evil.