Bum Glue

In her craft book Write Away: One Novelist’s Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life, Elizabeth George spends an entire chapter on the value of what she calls “bum glue.” She defines it as that which keeps one’s bottom firmly attached to the chair in which one sits while writing. Although bum glue goes by many different names, the vast majority of successful authors confirm – or, at least, confess – it’s the...

Literary – December 21

F. Scott Fitzgerald died on this date in 1940 at age 44, leaving unfinished The Love of the Last Tycoon. The protagonist of the novel was based on Irving Thalberg, who once said, “Credit you give yourself is not worth having.” Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist figures out someone else is taking credit for his/her essential and important contribution to a group...

Journaling + Fiction – December 21

“I think it’s easier than ever to hear only what you want to hear. That doesn’t make a good citizen.”Eli Pariser Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about how you’ll expand your sources of knowledge and information to encounter ideas you don’t want to hear. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which reality pierces your protagonist’s filter...

Big Questions – December 21

Would you prefer to outlive or die before your life partner? 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 minutes answering...

Romance – December 21

“Angel, ha! She’s a female! And all females is poison! They’re full of wicked wiles!” – Grumpy, in Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which premiered on this date in 1937. Writing prompt: Write a scene revealing your protagonist’s deepest, most secret opinion about the stereotypical damsel in distress.

Mystery – December 21

On this date in 1911, two men stole a satchel of cash being delivered to a Paris bank and made off in a stolen limousine, marking what is believed to be the first use of a getaway car. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is surprised to find out s/he’s in the middle of an unexpected getaway.

SciFi/Fantasy – December 21

”We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the earth.”- William A. Anders, lunar module pilot of Apollo 8, launched this date in 1968. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns the true value of the most amazing voyage ever undertaken in the world you’ve created.

Secondary – December 21

On this date in 1991, the Soviet Union formally ceased to exist. It was dissolved into Russia and fourteen other countries. Winston Churchill famously described the USSR as “a puzzle inside a riddle wrapped in an enigma.” What do you see in the world or your life that is such a challenging curiosity, and what would you like to know about it?