Literary – January 24

Edith Wharton, who famously compared a woman’s interior life to great house full of rooms, was born on this date in 1862. She warned against a “common symptom of immaturity, the dread of doing what has been done before.” Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist decides to do something s/he fears will fail simply because it’s the opposite of what’s caused her/his failures...

Journaling + Fiction – January 24

“It is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something.”Gordon B. Hinckley Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about what you’re best for. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist does something wrong because it seems like the right thing to do in the moment.

Big Questions – January 24

How do you start? 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 in the voice of a character you...

Romance – January 24

“Life is always either a tightrope or a feather bed. Give me the tightrope.” – Edith Wharton, born this date in 1862. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must decide between two potential partners — one who would make your protagonist’s life easy, and the other who would make it interesting.

Mystery – January 24

Abstract artist Robert Motherwell was born on this date in 1915. Among his paintings is this untitled work from 1967, a memorial tribute to poet and critic Frank O’Hara. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist encounters this image in the home of a person your protagonist is trying to understand.

SciFi/Fantasy – January 24

“The way was the strangest she had ever known. There was, she thought, no such passage in all the world save here.” -Catherine Leigh Moore, born this date in 1911. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must travel through a passage unlike any other in her/his world.

Secondary – January 24

On this date in 1848, gold was discovered at John Sutter’s mill in California, launching the “Gold Rush” in 1849. Describe a discovery that would make you move a long way and what you’d do when you got there.

Primary – January 24

On this date in 1848, gold was discovered at John Sutter’s mill in California, launching the “Gold Rush” in 1849. What do you think would make a lot of people move a long way today, and why would they do it?