Literary – December 18

“Sometimes you can do things for others that you can’t do for yourself.” -A.M. Homes, born this date in 1961. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist achieves for an ungrateful friend the very thing your protagonist knows s/he must do for her/himself but cannot.

Journaling + Fiction – December 18

“Often the test of courage is not to die but to live.”Vittorio Alfieri Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about the most trying experience you’ve lived through. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist feels s/he would rather die than continue to experience the situation.

Big Questions – December 18

Is there sentient life elsewhere in the universe? 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 the question...

Romance – December 18

Premiering on this date in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia, The Nutcracker ballet tells the story of a girl who so loves an inanimate object that it comes to life. Writing prompt: Tell the origin story of an object your protagonist loves so much it would come to life if it could.

Mystery – December 18

“A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanations.” -Saki (Hector Hugh Munro), born this date in 1870. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a character’s little inaccuracy explodes into something requiring a big explanation.

SciFi/Fantasy – December 18

Steven Spielberg was born on this date in 1946. About his movies, he’s said he has “this preoccupation with ordinary people pursued by large forces.” Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist fails to escape the largest force that exists in the world you’ve created.

Secondary – December 18

On this date in 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery in the United States. Describe what it would feel like to be owned by another person.

Primary – December 18

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.