Mystery – March 22

James Patterson was born on this date in 1947. In Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, he wrote, “when you’re right, that’s all you get to be.” Writing prompt: Write a scene in which being correct about something earns your protagonist negative responses from her/his colleagues or friends.

Mystery – March 21

Michael Dibdin was born on this date in 1947. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist accomplishes a task honestly while appearing to accomplish it corruptly.

Mystery – March 20

Hal Linden, who made famous the New York City police precinct captain Barney Miller, was born on this date in 1931. Writing prompt: Write a scene allowing your protagonist to make abundantly clear his/her opinion of a bureaucracy that exerts enormous influence over your protag’s life.

Mystery – March 19

“Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything.” -US Marshal Wyatt Earp, born on this date in 1848. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s interest in speed rather than accuracy creates a real problem for your protag and her/his closest colleague.

Mystery – March 18

George Plimpton was born on this date in 1927. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist tries to compete in a sport or event alongside its most accomplished practitioners, even though your protag has never practiced the sport before.

Mystery – St. Patrick’s Day

Kurt Russell, born this date in 1951, starred in Escape from New York as Snake Plissken, to whom the movie’s universal greeting was, “I heard you were dead!” Writing prompt: Write a series of dialogues in which your protagonist must dismiss the same, obviously untrue rumor over the course of a story.

Mystery – March 16

Erik Estrada was born on this date in 1949. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must accomplish a complicated task with someone who’s always gotten ahead on looks rather than ability.

Mystery – March 15

“The thorns of the rose are hidden by the bloom.” -Lynda La Plante, best known as the writer of the British television show Prime Suspect, born on this date in 1943. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns something or someone beautiful is concealing a source of great pain.