Image by Nicole Pankalla from Pixabay
I skipped a week last week, so here’s a bumper crop for this week.
With the new regime, I don’t have a lot of time to go into detail, but I think you have the gist of things by now. Simply choose one of the topics, and then brainstorm. Fiction and non-fiction; topical and evergreen.
Oscar Wilde
One hundred and twenty-five years ago next year, on 19 May 1897, Oscar Wilde was released after spending two years in prison.
What was he in prison for? How have things changed since then? What would have happened to him if the same had happened today?
What else do we know about Oscar Wilde? Where was he born? Where did he live? Where did he die?
Either choose one of the topics that comes up in your research and write about that, or write about Wilde himself. You could place him in a work of fiction too, if you wanted to.
Happy Birthday, Mister President
Sixty years ago next year, on 19 May 1962, Marilyn Monroe famously sang Happy Birthday to the president, JF Kennedy.
What do we know about Marilyn Monroe? What did she do for a living? How have things changed since she was in the business? What do we know about her relationship with JFK?
How did she live? How did she die? What do we know about the president? Can this be likened to when the Spice Girls met the Prince of Wales?
Italian mafia
Thirty years ago next year, on 23 May 1992, the Italian mafia apparently murdered someone called Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three bodyguards in a car bomb attack.
Can you write about the Italian mafia? Is there only one Italian mafia and many copies? What is the history of the mafia? What is today’s equivalent of the mafia?
Who was Giovanni Falcone? Where did he live? Where did he die? Where was he born?
Dracula
One hundred and twenty-five years ago next year, on 26 May 1897, Dracula went on sale in London.
Who wrote Dracula? Where did he live? (The author and the vampire.) Where is the story set? What is said to have been the inspiration for the story?
I’ve never read Dracula (call me a wimp, I don’t care), but I understand that there’s a shipwreck in it. Using a shipwreck off the coast of any country, what can you come up with?
Later this week, I’ll be sharing pictures from our recent visit to Whitby. Choose one of the pictures and write something based on what you see.
Christopher Lee
A hundred years ago next year, on 27 May 1922, Christopher Lee was born.
Where was he born? Where did he live? Where did he die? What films has he been in? What was his last film?
Create a star like Christopher Lee and write a story about him/her. Write a short film that you would like him to star in for you. Or your current day equivalent.
The Last Czar of Russia
One hundred and twenty-five years ago this year, on 26 May 1896, the last Czar of Russia was crowned.
What do we know about Nicholas II? How did he live? How did he die? Can you write a travel feature about a visit to Russia now?
This one is more topical this year, but the Russian royal family crops up often.
Write a story entitled The Last Czar (or The Last Tsar, whichever you prefer).
Over to you…
… and don’t forget to come back and let me know if and what you did, and how it fared.
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