Written by Emily Harstone October 23rd, 2014

Writing Prompt: Family History

My mother told me many stories about her family, while I was growing up. Sometimes I will remind her of them now, and many she still remembers, but some she has forgotten.

She also wrote a number of fictionalized versions of her days growing up, and now sometimes I will read over them, appreciating them even more than when she first read them to me.

For this prompt I want you to take one of the stories your parents or grandparents tell over and over again and write it down. It should be an event that you were not present for, or one that you don’t remember. I don’t want you to talk to the family about the event before writing the story, I just want you to write down what you remember them saying.

If you don’t remember an important detail, or want to add more concrete information to flesh the story out, make it up. This exercise is not about being accurate, it is about about blending fact and fiction.

I encourage you to write this story from the first person perspective. I think that you will get the most out of writing it, and write the strongest story, if you tell it from this perspective.

Happy Writing!

 

We Send You Publishers Seeking Submissions.

Sign up for our free e-magazine and we will send you reviews of publishers seeking short stories, poetry, essays, and books.

Subscribe now and we'll send you a free copy of our book Submit, Publish, Repeat

14 Magazines Accepting Climate and Environmental Fiction

14 Magazines Accepting Climate and Environmental Fiction

Magazines seeking short stories and poetry.

Sontag Mag: Now Seeking Poetry Submissions

Sontag Mag: Now Seeking Poetry Submissions

Seeking poetry and poetry in translation. The deadline is July 31st.

Case Study: How The Coat Check Girl Came to Life

Case Study: How The Coat Check Girl Came to Life

An author's publishing success after 16 years of doubt and rejection.

27 Literary Journals with Fast Response Times

27 Literary Journals with Fast Response Times

It is good to start out by submitting your work to literary journals that have fast response times. It is rewarding to hear back from journals within a month, rather than a year later, when you have forgotten all about them. Submitting to journals with fast response times helps keep you motivated. All of these…