On this date in 1912, after three years of digging in Sussex, England, amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson announced the discovery of two skulls he said belonged to an early human that he claimed to be the ancestor of man. Forty years later, Piltdown Man was exposed as a hoax. Tell a story about a time you believed in something that turned out not be true.
“The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right.” -William Safire, born this date in 1929. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist chooses to do something wrong that breaks no laws or rules.
“The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”G.K. Chesterton Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time being open-minded led you to bite off more than you could chew. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which a new idea prevents your protagonist from closing his/her mind before taking the idea a step too...
What does your best friend have that you wouldn’t take for love or money? 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 Dec 17th, 2025 in
Romance |
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“Duty is what no-one else will do at the moment.” -Penelope Fitzgerald, born this date in 1916. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is forced to do something necessary because no one else will, and as a result achieves the opposite of her/his goal.
Posted by
dbschlosser on Dec 17th, 2025 in
Mystery |
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“I’m not altogether sure I like cast-iron alibis. They’re the sort that sink quickest — to the bottom of the sea.” -Horace Rumpole in a 1979 broadcast of Rumpole of the Bailey, which premiered on the BBC on this date in 1975 and later spawned books based on the same character. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must sink a cast-iron alibi.
“If you hunch your shoulders too long against a storm your shoulders will grow bowed.”- Ford Madox Ford, born this date in 1873. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist misses a chance to achieve an important goal because prior experiences closed her/his mind to hope the opportunity ever would come.
Ford Madox Ford was born on this date in 1873. His masterpiece The Good Soldier opens: “This is the saddest story I have ever heard.” Write the saddest story you’ve every heard.
