dannye_chase

On this day in 1822, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley died. A few weeks earlier, he reported he’d seen an omen of his own death: his doppelganger, or double. Strangely enough, the double was seen by someone else as well.

People like to know what’s coming, even (especially) if it’s bad. It’s said no one wants to know the hour of their death, but if that were true, we wouldn’t have a whole list of death omens. Traditionally, signs of impending doom are found in two places: the natural and the supernatural. So come have a seat by the fire, and let’s hope we don’t cast headless shadows. (No, really.)

Check out the blog post for the whole story and some ominous writing prompts, such as:

When you believe it, then you will see it. Most people don’t believe in death omens, or at least, they say they don’t. But that doesn’t mean death omens can’t be dangerous. If you’ve got a character who really believes in this stuff, then they’re at risk of a self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, if they’re convinced they’re going to die, they might take foolish risks, stop eating, or refuse treatment for an illness. But what if the signs pointed to someone else? Say you’ve got a character who truly believes Aunt Grizelda has been marked for death—and they stand to inherit her fortune. What might they do then when she stubbornly remains healthy?

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