SciFi/Fantasy – January 31

“I think we shrink from the immensity of the purpose we are here for.” -Norman Mailer, born on this date in 1923. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist shrinks before the immensity of her/his purpose.

SciFi/Fantasy – January 30

“War is the unfolding of miscalculations.” -Barbara Tuchman, born this date in 1912. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which an argument over a minor issue between your protagonist and an authority figure becomes a conflagration because of mutual miscalculations.

SciFi/Fantasy – January 29

“A lie is like a pet — you have to take care of it, or it’ll turn on you and bite you in the ass.” -Matthew Stover, born this date in 1962. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which a lie told by your protagonist turns and bites her/him.

SciFi/Fantasy – January 28

“Right action is better than knowledge; but in order to do what is right, we must know what is right.” – Frankish emperor Charlemagne, assassinated on this date in Denis Dyack’s eternally dark 814 by followers of Pious Augustus. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist discovers a clue in a hidden room.

SciFi/Fantasy – January 27

In the midst of the word he was trying to say,In the midst of his laughter and glee,He had softly and suddenly vanished away—For the Snark was a Boojum, you see. – Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, born this date in 1832. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which nonsense reveals more about what’s going on for the characters than their actual circumstances.

SciFi/Fantasy – January 26

“This story is about love, which means that it is also about hate.” -Philip José Farmer, born on this date in 1918. Writing prompt: Write a scene exploring your protagonist’s most vexing duality.

SciFi/Fantasy – January 25

“Men have an extraordinarily erroneous opinion of their position in nature.” -William Somerset Maugham, born this date in 1874. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s erroneous opinion of her/his position in nature puts someone else in mortal danger.

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.