Past Prompts

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

This Labor Day, think back ... to your earliest work experiences. A paper route? Babysitting? Landscaping or construction? Wait staff or fast food? Teacher's aide or candy striper? What was it like? How did it feel when you actually got paid (if you did)? What did you learn? Share your early work stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

Some are natural, like hurricanes, volcanoes, floods, earthquakes, or wildfires. Some are human, like illness, divorce, accidents, bankruptcy, or 9/11. Others might just seem like disasters, like a breakup or a bad haircut. On this anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, think back ... to a disaster that shaped your life. How did it change you? Did it have a silver lining? Share your disaster stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories