Your Eighteenth Birthday
Write a heartfelt letter to your child on the day they turn eighteen, reflecting on the moments that were pivotal in shaping your relationship and your hopes for their future.
Suggested length: An essay or article: 800 to 2,500 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.
- Cut every sentence that only repeats the one before it.
- Find one surprising fact and build around it.
- Use one example from your own life.
Writing essays
A mind at work, one subject at a time.
An essay collection gathers short nonfiction pieces: personal, critical, funny or all three. What ties them together is the writer's voice and way of seeing.
What readers expect
- A distinctive voice
- Personal stakes
- Surprising connections
- Pieces that stand alone
A tip before you start
Follow a question, not a thesis. The pleasure of an essay is watching someone think.
More Parenting and Family prompts
- A Letter to My ChildWrite a letter to your child on what you wish you knew at their age, reflecting on your own experiences and the lessons you've learned that you want…
- The Hardest Day of ParenthoodDescribe the most challenging moment you've faced as a parent and how it transformed your understanding of what it means to raise another human being.
- The Day Our Family ChangedRecall a significant event that brought about change or revelation in your family dynamics. Describe the event, the challenges faced, and the lessons…
- Raising Children Across CulturesExplore the unique challenges and joys of raising children in a multicultural family. Discuss how you incorporate different cultural beliefs, customs…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
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