Within each man is the entire human condition.

Guys, I started my non-fiction writing class and it is all. about. the “personal essay”. Memoir. Autobiography.

I couldn’t be more excited, as this is pretty much my favorite genre.

We have three personal essays due throughout the semester that we’re going to workshop in class, and I don’t want to do the cliche themes like ” the time a guy took advantage of me”, or ” the time I was super depressed and bad things happened” or blah blah blah.  First of all…I’m not sure I want to write about those things. Secondly, I KNOW I don’t want to read them aloud to a class full of strangers.

Not that I don’t want to delve into my personal cache of memories and feelings, but let’s be a little more subtle, a little more creative, shall we?

That being said, our first essay is due in a couple of weeks and I need some ideas of where to start finding this literary gold that’s socked away in the recesses of my mind.

Thus, I will list some memoir writing prompts I’ve been finding across the internet for me to work on. If you feel so compelled to use one of the prompts yourself, you are more than welcome to participate.

Hurray!

These first few are from extremewritingnow.com

• Write your memories of coffee. As Natalie Goldberg says, ““A whole world exists in coffee. Glean those details. Everything you know about coffee. Go.”
• Give a memory of sound without using the word “sound”.
• Talk about your favorite meal. Where were you? What was the weather like? Who were you with? How old were you?
• Give us a memory of the color red. Do not use the word “red,” rather use words that epitomize red, like blood, strawberry, crimson, ruby, etc.
• Go back to just before you graduated high school. What were your plans? Were you going to college, technical school, the military, getting a job or traveling? But, most importantly, try to capture the way you felt. Were you excited, scared, reserved, couldn’t wait to leave home, all of the above. What? Tell us about this event and your emotional state. Graduation is usually a turning point in our lives.
• Think about a time when you were devastated, lost, unfocused. How did you cope with it and eventually overcome it (I hope)? Tell us your story of being “Not Down and Out”.

 from decoratingforevents.com

• How you felt when you first heard of a tragic national event

from signsofgrace.com

• Recall someone that you met in passing and describe what it
  would have been like to form a close friendship.
• Describe the earliest memory you have of your mother or father.
• Describe clothing that you feel the most comfortable in.

from journalingprompts.com

• What can you find at home that you can’t find anywhere else?
• Recall and write about your most recent shopping expedition
• Have you ever disliked someone at first site? Write about that experience and what, if anything came out of it.
• Write about one of your childhood dreams
• Go back to 10 years ago. What would you undo?
• List all the sounds you used to hear at your grandparent’s house
• Write about what christmas is NOT to you

I think those are some amazing prompts. I’m super excited to write on a few of them in particular.

I hope I have inspired some of you as well!