At a recent Writer's Guild meeting we did an exercise called, "I Remember". This exercise prompted a number of good story ideas, and it amazed me how I started with one memory and ended up recalling things long forgotten and seemingly unrelated to where I started. For today's prompt, we're going to remember prompted by topic.
Pumping Your Muse Prompt:
Choose one of the topics below. Take five minutes to write your memories. If you choose politics, you may start with: I remember where I was when Kennedy was shot. Your memories don't have to stay on topic, but instead each one will be used as a trigger. For example, if you were in seventh grade when Kennedy was shot, your memories may include: the name carved in my desk or the fountain pen I used. Let the memories flow. Here are the topics to get your started:
- Politics
- Family
- Childhood
- Work
- Vacation
- Things that scare me
Once you finish your list, choose one memory and write one to three paragraphs on the subject.
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2 comments:
I like this "remember" prompt. The key, as you say, is to find the "trigger," and using memories is a great way to connect to some emotional hot spot.
I ran into a prompt once that was "write a poem that scares you." That got the ball rolling!
Wow! That's a good idea. Thanks so much for sharing here at Pumping Your Muse Prompts! One writer to another, it is appreciated.
Donna
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