Prompts for Telling About Your Own Experiences

Prompts for Telling About Your Own Experiences
Most of these are from Telling Your Own Stories by Donald Davis. When instructed to, pick one of these prompts to write about. Once you’ve used a topic, check off the box in front of it. Or perhaps these prompts will help you think of an experience you’d like to write about that doesn’t quite fit any of them. Go ahead and write about it instead.

 Can you remember a pet you once had which you don’t have any more?
 Can you remember a time when you tried to cook something and it didn’t turn out?
 Can you remember a time you got into trouble for something you had been told not to do?
 Can you remember a time when you broke something (or otherwise ruined something) that belonged to someone else?
 Can you remember a trip you would not want to have to take again?
 Can you remember a party you didn’t want to attend to begin with?
 Can you remember a night (or day) your parents haven’t yet found out about?
 Can you remember a time when you got sick at a very inconvenient moment?
 Can you remember a birthday or holiday you would (or would not) like to live over again?
 Can you remember a time when you got lost? What about a time when you were separated from your companions – even though you weren’t lost?
 Can you remember a time when you were locked out of where you needed to be?
 Can you remember a time when you totally forgot an important date or appointment?
 Can you remember a time when your first impression of someone turned out to be completely wrong?
 Can you remember a time when you learned something from someone younger than you, perhaps a little child?
 Can you remember a problem with a haircut? . . . make-up? . . . an article of clothing?
 Can you remember a time when you got a gift or compliment which you did not at all deserve?
 Can you remember a time when you almost won, but not quite?
 Can you remember a time when you were tricked or lied to?

 Take us with you when you had to move from one home to another.
 Take us with you to a movie when you were a child . . . or to a movie you’ve attended since then.
 Take us on a walk around the neighborhood where you lived as a child. . . or where you live now.
 Take us on a visit to your favorite childhood story.
 Take us on a childhood shopping trip with your mother or another family member.
 Take us on a visit to your childhood (or current) doctor’s office.
 Take us to school with you during one of your favorite years in school.
 Take us to summer camp for an afternoon, or an evening, or overnight.
 Take us to the place your father or mother works (or worked).
 Take us home with you for a holiday meal.
 Take us to the one spot in the all the world where you would like to build a house. You may also describe the house if you wish.
 Take us to visit your childhood hiding place or special thinking place.
 Take us to a place you like to go for walks or picnics.
 Introduce to us the oldest person you can remember knowing when you were a child.
 Tell us about a friend whom you have known most of you life.
 Tell us about a friend who is no longer part of your life.
 Introduce to us someone who visits (or used to visit) your house.
 Introduce to us a teacher to whom you owe a lot.
 Can you remember the first person you ever had a crush on?
 Tell us about a person you want to be like when you grow up.
 Tell us about one of your grandmothers or grandfathers.