Write about the first neighborhood you grew up in
Prompt 1 of The Prompted Memoir
Write about the first neighborhood you grew up in.
The places we grew up in shaped us into who we are now. The sights, the smells, the sounds, the people. What do you recall from the first neighborhood you grew up in? How did it impact your younger self? When you think about this first neighborhood, is there a specific scene that comes to mind, especially as it relates to a larger theme in your life?
Here is an example from the memoir The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls where she shares about her growing up as a scattered place, which really sets up the whole narrative of her upbringing.
“We moved around like nomads. We lived in dusty little mining towns in Nevada, Arizona, and California. They were usually nothing but a tiny cluster of sad, sunken shacks, a gas station, a dry-goods store, and a bar or two. They had names like Needles and Bouse, Pie, Goffs, and Why, and they were near places like the Superstition Mountains, the dried-up Soda Lake, and the Old Woman Mountain. The more desolate and isolated a place Wise, the better mom and dad liked it.”- The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Writing tip: Write with emotional risk.
Every time we put pen to page, we take a risk on our voice. It could be easy to write the facts devoid of emotion, but the feeling is what grips us and compels the reader to keep reading. Consider, how can you write with risk? How can you show up emotionally with words? How can we experience your vulnerability through this story?
“Ask yourself what risk you are not taking and then take that risk. Push yourself to find what is true for your characters, what is left unsaid at the heart of the story you are wanting to tell. Experiment. Play. Make us laugh, and then make us cry.” - A M Homes
Time to write:
Write your choice of a complete short story, essay, or narrative poem based on this prompt in 1-3 pages. Be sure to title and save your work.
Be sure to title and save your work. Don’t forget to take a deep breath and care for yourself after you write.
Love, Megan
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Ready for round two!