The Autobiography Project
Welcome! The Creative Writing Forum is teaming up with Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Event and One Book, One Philadelphia to invite you to submit a memoir or your own using no more than 300 words. After we have helped you revise your work, you can submit it directly to the project. To get started on writing your autobiography now, try one of the prompts below and then submit your writing to us for help with revising it.
The Things I Carry
What’s in your pocketbook or pocket right now, and what story does it tell?
Examine the objects closely – touch them, smell them, turn them over – perhaps there’s one in particular that you have something to say about? What’s its history; how did it come into your life; and where has it traveled to with you? How did you feel when you bought or received it, and how do you feel about it now? Maybe someone else owned one of these things before you: what does the object communicate about your relationship with them? Or perhaps there’s something missing from your bag/pocket, something that was lost or stolen from you?
Did I Ever Tell You About The Time ...?
What was your funniest or most embarrassing moment ever?
Put yourself back into a moment in your life when something out of the ordinary happened to you. It might jump-start your memory to connect back to what was happening in the world, and in your life? Who was with you, and what was their relationship to you – friend, enemy, supporter or source of conflict? You can tell the story just the way it happened. Or you can also choose to reflect on the effect this moment had on your life, and why it’s still memorable for you. Just be sure to use specific details to bring the time and the story alive to a reader. Has the way you feel about this moment changed over time? Whom do you share this story with, normally, and why?
My Home Was Here
Chances are, some of the most meaningful moments in your life might have happened in your own home. Think about a place you’ve lived, and the things you remember most strongly from your time there.
You can pick a particular room: what stories could those four walls tell? Perhaps you might want to start out by just describing what the room looks like, and see what memories are triggered. For example, if you start with your kitchen, you might find yourself describing the foods you ate there, and then move on to who cooked them for you, or a meal that was a special occasion. Or, think back to a time you’ve moved, packing everything you own in boxes and saying goodbye to a place that you’ve called home: why were you moving? What happened in your life to make you want or need to change homes? What changes did moving bring to your life?
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