Posted by
dbschlosser on Apr 15th, 2026 in
Blog |
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Many writers start from a brilliant opening line – an inspiration to craft an entire story from a dazzling line of prose. Other writers use the opening line as a placeholder, knowing they will revise or replace it when they finish telling the story. Although I prefer the second approach, there is no wrong or right way to write an opening line – truly, deciding must be the best and worst of times for a...
On this date in 1828, Noah Webster published the first dictionary of American English. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which inaccurate spelling causes your protagonist to suffer a dangerous crisis.
“In reality, humility means nothing other than complete honesty about yourself.”L. William Countryman Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about an aspect of yourself you’ve never before been completely honest about. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is forced to admit something about him/herself that your protagonist has concealed.
What unexamined assumption in your life could afford a bit more attention? 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...
Posted by
dbschlosser on Apr 14th, 2026 in
Romance |
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“Happiness is the absence of suffering.” -Julie Christie, born this date in 1941. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist has an epiphany and realizes Julie is wrong.
Posted by
dbschlosser on Apr 14th, 2026 in
Mystery |
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“Never run when you’re right.”- Frank Serpico, born this date in 1936. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes s/he cannot solve a problem because of official corruption.
“Moving forward in science is as much unwinding the distorted thinking of the past as it is putting a clearer idea on the table.” – J. Craig Venter, who led the team that completed the Human Genome Project on this date in 2003. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s parents describe how their culture originally explained hereditary traits.
“The human race’s prospects of survival were considerably better when we were defenseless against tigers than they are today when we have become defenseless against ourselves.” -Arnold J. Toynbee, born on this date in 1889. Explain what you think Toynbee meant when he said this.
