Writing a memoir is an excellent way of sharing your unique story of a time when something special or impactful happened. However, it is not a walk in the park as it seems, which is why having memoir writing prompts might help spark your creative juices.
Most people confuse memoirs and autographs and will spend more time thinking about all their personal history. A memoir only seeks to cover a period when certain significant events happened to you.
To help you out, these memoir writing prompts are questions that will help in your writing exercises. Think about your theme and pick the questions that fit together in the same category so that answering them will help you write a powerful memoir.
Memoir writing prompts for high school.
– Think about an experience you had that had great significance in your life. Describe the moment with lots of sensory details.
– Can you remember who your first best friend was? Describe in detail how you met or what led to your friendship.
– Did you have a favorite subject in school, and why was it so unique to you?
– Who was that favorite teacher you will never forget about? What made them special? Which best memories about their class made them so enjoyable?
– What was your social life in school? Did you fit in some particular groups or cliques? Describe this in detail.
– What do you reckon to be the most important things you’ve learned in your life?
– Do you have a family heirloom? What is the story behind it?
– What do you know now that you wish you had learned while you were still a child?
– What do you wish others could see in you? Is there something about your character that is often overlooked by others?
– Which principles do you have now that you stood by even when you were a child?
– What did you believe as a child that you no longer do?
– What is the thing that you stand for that makes you rub others in the wrong way?
– What are you good at that you don’t even struggle with but seem to come naturally?
– What do you wish adults could understand about you? Is there a case in point you can describe?
– Write about a time when you were afraid of something. What led to the fear, and how did you overcome it?
– Write about the day you joined high school. What was the experience like?
– What is that single event that had the most impact on your life?
– What about school that makes you uncomfortable, but you try to learn to cope with it?
– What is your favorite book or maybe a TV show that you feel has had the most significant influence on your life, either through actions or thoughts? Is there a character you can identify with?
– What is your most memorable gift? Who was it from, and what made it so special?
– Write about something you only know and why you have never discussed it with anyone else.
– What do you consider to be your worst failure? How did it have an impact on you?
– What is your biggest win so far? What is the best lesson you learned from it?
Memoir writing prompts for middle school.
– Which toys or childhood games did you love the most, and how do you think they impacted your life?
– What is a celebration that is your family tradition you are fond of? What is its origin, and how do you celebrate it?
– What is that special moment you remember learning something new from your parents? What made it so special to you?
– Who was your childhood friend, and why did you love hanging out with them? How did you meet?
– Which occasion in your childhood are you so proud of, and what makes it a special moment?
– What are your favorite cartoon characters, and why do you love them?
– If you had any magical powers, what would they be?
– Do you have any favorite video games, and why do you love playing them/ Who is your favorite opponent or accomplice?
– What is your most memorable field trip? Describe the things you got to do that made it a special one.
– At what point did you start feeling like a big kid, and what made you feel that way?
– What did you struggle doing as a child that you can now do? Is there anything that you did to make it easier?
– Which person in your family makes you the most excited? What are some of the things you learned from them that made you love them even more?
– Write about a time you did a kind thing to help out someone. What help did they need, and were you given anything after helping?
Easy Memoir writing prompts
– What is your earliest memory of an experience or something you did as a young child?
– Who was your first love, and what are your best memories about them? If you haven’t met your passion yet, who is that special sibling or person that brings joy to your heart when you think about them? Can you describe some of the lovely experiences with them?
– Write about something mind-boggling about your family history. Do you have some family secrets or things you queried but remain mysterious?
– What are the unique or unusual things that happened during your birth? Have your parents or relatives shared amazing stories about when you were born?
– Which parent were you more accessible to or closer to growing up? Are there reasons why?
– Who was the most influential person in your life growing up?
– Were you close to your parents? How did they express their love for you?
– What are some of your happiest childhood memories?
– What childhood memories do you dread that elicit pain or sadness?
– How close were your parents, and how can you describe their relationship?
– What words of love, encouragement, or advice from your parents do you always remember, and why?
– What career choice did you think you would grow up to become? What made you achieve it, or why did you have a change of heart?
– Did you have any favorite books or movies, and what influence did they have on your life?
– Did you grow up in a religious or non-religious household, and what was it like? Does it affect your current spiritual journey? If not, when and how did you have to change your religious perspectives?
– What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you or that you have done?
– What moment did you feel like you were entirely out of line, and what did it cost you?
Creative memoir writing prompts
– Which teacher had much impact on you in elementary school and why?
– What did you struggle with in your school life, whether social or academic?
– Which things do you wish you would have learned or known much earlier in your life?
– What things you normalize in your household growing up now seem odd and messed up?
– How long did your first crush last? Who was it, and what made you attracted to them?
– When did you move from home, and how old were you?
– Have you ever had a significant fallout with one of your parents, and do you remember the reason?
– What job gave you your first proper pay, what did you do with the money, or what do you remember the most about that job?
– What are some of the most emotional moments of your love, either because of being loved or feeling all alone?
– Do you remember your last day and graduation from high school vividly? What was it like, and was it a significant moment in your life?
– What was your family’s financial situation growing up, and how has it influenced you?
– At what point did you decide to make a major change in your lifestyle, if there is any, and what was the reason or motive behind it?
– Who has been your greatest supporter or critic, and how have they influenced you, or what life lessons did you get from them??
– What is your personal view about yourself? Do you think you are good or otherwise, and why?
– What thing did you achieve that you never imagined you could do?
– What is the one thing you have been struggling with your whole life?
– What was your major in college, and did it influence your life?
– Were you a pet lover growing up, and did you have animal companions growing up?
– Who is that person in your life that you would love to see again, and why?
– Do you have any near-death experiences? Reflect on them, what happened, and did they influence your life.
– What is the funniest thing that you can’t even believe happened?
– If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say to them?
Easy memoir topics
– Here are some great topics for your memoir writing prompts:
– Your most fantastic or worst day
– The teacher who had the most significant impact on your life.
– Your proudest moment
– Your favorite food
– Your favorite songs
– Your favorite movies, TV shows, or series
– Your hobbies
– The most memorable place you have been to and why it’s so unique to you
– What was it like growing up in your household
– Someone that will always hold a special place in your heart and why
– Who specially shaped you to be who you are today? What are the things you learned from them that made an impact?
– Your most cherished item/possession
What are some good topics for writing a memoir?
– What parenthood feels like
– The impact your parents had on you
– What has it been like to live with your family members
– Your favorite game/sport and how it has shaped your life.
– A road trip you will never forget
– The first time you fell in love
– Things a younger version of you did that you wish you never did.
– Something you could do that you wish you still can
– Fitness or diet practices that have influenced your life in a great way.
– Your best efforts in school have led to your career
– The hard times you have faced earlier on in your life have shaped who you are
– How a school you went to change your life
– A relationship to cherish
– A battle with addiction
– A loss of a close person
– Your college phase
– Your rebellious phase
– How adolescence was to you
– A spiritual journey
– Adulting struggles
– Midlife crisis or struggles
– The impact aging has on your life
– A strange experience
– Something that happened to completely change your life (for better or for worse)
– Life in the military
– Life as an alien in a host country
– A life quest you partook
What should you not write in a memoir?
Now that you know some excellent memoir writing prompts, here are six tips on things you should avoid if you want your memoir to be remarkable.
1. Your entire life story: a memoir is not an autobiography and thus should not contain all the details since you were born. It should be about some big event or a series of events in a particular theme.
2. A story without a theme: Choose a lesson your readers will take away from your account. This could be something like showing the value of a relationship or how to overcome addiction.
3. A story without a plot: Include an outline to make your story easy to follow through, make your memoir enjoyable, and make sense of your memories.
4. A boring story: If your memoir isn’t appropriately paced and engaging, chances are nobody will be willing to read it. Make the chronology of events entertaining to your readers.
5. Revenge: Your memoir is not a place to settle scores that happened in your life. Instead, it is a place to tell the story as it happened and let the reader have their lessons and takeaways.
6. A story focused on you as the hero: Portray events as they happened truthfully and show your strengths and weaknesses.
Conclusion
Writing a memoir doesn’t have to be so difficult. Memoir writing will help you develop an exciting idea to guide your bio. Remember to keep it entertaining but accurate. While you don’t have to remember every tiny detail, when you write things that didn’t happen, that will make you a fiction writer.
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