Past Prompts

Think back ... to the "British invasion." It was the Beatles vs the Rolling Stones and you had to pick a side. The moptops next door or the bad boys of rock? Soulful John or unruly Mick? "She Loves You" or "Satisfaction?" "The White Album" or "Sticky Fingers?" Do you still love their music? Are you fans of the remaining band members now? Share your Beatles and Stones stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

Pantyhose. Curlers. Coonskin caps. Disco. Polyester. Nixon. Segregation. Think back ... what object, person, or trend from our past are you thrilled to have behind us? What role did they play in your life, and what accounted for their eventual demise? Give us your quick take—a story you can write in 15 minutes or less—and bid good riddance to our past mistakes. Start Writing Read Stories

Birthday parties, holiday parties, dinner parties, dance parties—we punctuate our lives with parties. Think back ... to parties you remember. Which did you enjoy and which did you hate? Were you the life of the party or the wallflower? What was the best party you ever attended? What was the worst? What parties have you thrown? Is our two-party system obsolete? Share your party stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

Think back ... to family dinners. Reading cereal boxes at the breakfast table. Lunch in the school cafeteria. Barbecues. Drive-ins. Pizza parlors. Chinese takeout. Burger joints. "Special occasion" restaurants. So many of our memories revolve around food. Share them forward! Start Writing Read Stories

The recent movie "Eighth Grade" got us thinking about middle school, that awkward, difficult, in-between time when we were not quite children yet not quite adolescents. Or was it? Think back ... What was it like? Who were your friends? What were your interests? Were you still close to your parents? How did it change you? How was it different for your kids? Share your middle school stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories