Literary – May 3

Jacob Riis was born on this date in 1849. About him it was said, “He hated passionately all tyrannies, abuses, miseries, and he fought them. He was a terror to the officials and landlords responsible, as he saw it, for the desperate condition of the tenements where the poor lived. He had exposed them in articles, books, and public speeches, and with results.” Writing prompt: Write a scene describing...

Journaling + Fiction – May 3

“The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come.”K’ung Fu-tzu Journal prompt: Reflect on your previous journal entries and spend at least 20 minutes writing about the last time you got caught unprepared for something you knew to prepare for. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns the hard way that safety is fleeting.

Big Questions – May 3

Is there any kind of deity or natural force looking out for you? 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...

Romance – May 3

“I’ve often wondered how people raised in our great cities ever develop any knowledge of humankind. People who grow up in small towns get to know each other so much more closely than they do in cities.” -William Inge, born this date in 1913. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which proximity to neighbors causes your protagonist to believe s/he is known far more closely than your protag...

Mystery – May 3

“For although the act condemns the doer, the end may justify him.”- Niccolò Machiavelli, born this date in 1469. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist reluctantly concludes the ends do not justify the means.

SciFi/Fantasy – May 3

“Society has to defend itself from its defenders, because what’s admirable in wartime is termed psychopathic in peace.”- John Brunner, whose Stand on Zanzibar opened on this date in 2010. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist ‘s instinctive response prives inappopriate to the context.

Secondary – May 3

Niccolò Machiavelli was born on this date in 1469. Explain why you agree or disagree with his famous maxim that the ends justify the means.

Primary – May 3

Tomorrow is National Teacher’s Day. Write 10 words that describe your perfect teacher.