Past Prompts

As Juliet tells Romeo, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But would it? The names we are given and which we give to our children are often imbued with meaning. Naming ceremonies exist in all cultures, and names are in and then out of fashion. Think back … Why did your parents give you the name they did? Were you named after someone, or did your name have special significance to your parents? Do you know anyone who changed their first or last name, or whose family name was changed? How did you choose the names for your children? Share your What’s in a Name stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

Sure, we’re all writers here, but why do we write? For relaxation, for pleasure, to keep others informed, for creative expression? Or as Joan Didion famously said, "I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear." Think back … about the role writing has played in your life. Share your Why We Write stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

Words often fail to have the same meaning when translated into another language. Sometimes the result is frustrating, as in trying to assemble something made in China with directions that have been translated into fractured English. Often, the result is funny, as the translation changes the intended meaning of a phrase. Think back … what experiences have you had with something that was lost in translation? Have you or someone you know struggled to communicate in a foreign country? Do you know foreign-born people whose words were misunderstood, mistranslated, or not translatable? Share your Lost in Translation stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

On this Father’s Day weekend, our thoughts turn to our fathers, as they did to our mothers last month. Fathers can also be sources of advice, wisdom, or warnings, as well as family stories. Think back ... to some memorable account, caution, or counsel that your father gave you that has stayed with you all these years. Share your What My Father Told Me stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

As children, we couldn’t wait for each birthday to come, but now some of us might dread this sign of advancing age. Think back ... to your most memorable or special birthday. Was it Sweet Sixteen? Twenty-one? Or sixty-five and eligible for Medicare? How did you celebrate then? How do you view birthdays now? Share your Special Birthdays stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories