The Turning Point That Changed Me
Document a significant turning point that altered your personal beliefs or lifestyle. Discuss the events leading up to this change, the major players, and how you felt during the transition. Reflect on how different your life is because of this change.
Suggested length: A personal essay: 1,000 to 3,000 words
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Be honest about what you didn't understand at the time.
- Cut the background and trust the reader to keep up.
- Write about one day, not one year.
Writing biography and memoir books
A real life, told with the shape of a story.
A biography tells someone else's life; an autobiography tells your own, start to finish. A memoir is narrower: one stretch or theme of the author's life, told with a novelist's tools. Memoir is where most new writers start.
What readers expect
- A true story with a narrative arc
- An honest, distinctive voice
- Scenes, not just summary
- Meaning drawn from experience
A tip before you start
A memoir isn't your whole life. Pick one thread, such as a year, a relationship or a question, and cut everything else.
More Biographies and Memoirs prompts
- The Moment My Career ChangedDocument a significant turning point in your career or personal life. Delve into the before, during, and after of the event, focusing on the emotional…
- An Object Through Changing TimesSelect an object that has been passed down through your family or a friend’s family. Write a series of vignettes or essays centered around each owner…
- The Job That Changed MeDocument an unusual job or position you've held that has left an indelible mark on your character and professional journey. What were the quirky…
- The Forgotten Hand Behind HistoryDelve into the life of a person who played a crucial but largely unrecognized role in a significant historical event. Explore their contributions, the…
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