Past Prompts

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

Since the early days of bulletin-board systems and email lists, the Internet has been a way to connect. Think back ... Are you on a social media app like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Pinterest? What do you share (besides cat videos)? Are your kids on? Given recent abuses, are you tempted to quit? How has social media changed your life? How has it changed our culture? Share your social media stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories