Journaling + Fiction – February 28

I must be cruel only to be kind.Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.William Shakespeare Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time when a friend or family member told you something that seemed cruel in the moment but later turned out to be valuable. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s kindness turns out to be inadvertently cruel.

Journaling + Fiction – February 27

“We live on a planet that has a more or less infinite capacity to surprise. What reasoning person could possibly want it any other way?”Bill Bryson Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time you were delighted to be surprised. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is surprised to be surprised.

Journaling + Fiction – February 26

“Curiosity takes ignorance seriously, and is confident enough to admit when it does not know. It is aware of not knowing, and it sets out to do something about it.”Alain de Botton Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time you learned the hard way that you did not know as much as you thought you did. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s ignorance about a topic...

Journaling + Fiction – February 25

“Nothing in man is more serious than his sense of humor; it is the sign that he wants all the truth.”Mark Van Doren Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a subject that makes you laugh but most other people don’t find funny. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist uses humor in a failed attempt to hide the truth.

Journaling + Fiction – February 24

“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”J.R.R. Tolkien Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about the differences between a time you had to make a judgment call that turned out wrong and another time you had to make a judgment call that turned out...

Journaling + Fiction – February 23

“It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.”Aristotle Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time you did the wrong thing for the right reasons. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist does the right thing for the wrong reasons.

Journaling + Fiction – February 22

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”Winston Churchill Journal prompt: Reflect on your previous journal entries and spend at least 20 minutes writing about a situation in which your continued efforts counted. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is encouraged by people s/he considered allies to give up.

Journaling + Fiction – February 21

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”Jane Austen Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about you felt abandoned by someone you believed really was a friend. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist fails a person who considered your protagonist a friend.