Past Prompts

Bullying is as old as school yard insults and as new as social media. October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a fitting time to think about the bullies that seem to dominate our lives, both personally and politically. Think back… were you ever the victim of bullying or were you the bully? What motivates bullying and how can it be prevented? Are “mean girls” as mean as ever? Share your bullying stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

October is National Book Month, and October 20-26 is Friends of Libraries Week. Do you generally get your books from the library, or do you buy them? Think back . . . Did you go to the library as a child? Did you take your children? Do you think of libraries as welcoming places, or places where they tell you to shush? Share your library stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

High-tech hacks and scams, from phishing, to ransomware, to worms and viruses, are happening all the time—even to Retrospect with bogus emails. But cons have always been with us, in person and door to door. Have you or loved ones been conned, hacked, or scammed? Maybe you foiled a scam, and if so, how? Think back … to yesterday’s cons or recent cybercrimes. Share your hacks and scams stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

Several people have written to us suggesting prompts that they want to write about. Some are ideas that we have already used, and we don’t want to repeat them just yet for all of our writers. So, this is Writer’s Choice week. Think back . . . to any topic that strikes your fancy. Look at our list of past prompts if you need inspiration. Share your Writer’s Choice stories forward.
P.S. At the end of the week, you can move your story to the appropriate prompt, or you can leave it in the Potpourri. Start Writing Read Stories

Everyone with young children leaves them with a sitter sooner or later. Some families have full-time nannies or foreign au pairs, and some only the occasional teenage babysitter. Think back . . .  to your childhood or that of your kids, or to your own experiences as a babysitter. Do you have any memorable tales of good or bad childcare situations? Share your nannies and babysitters stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories