free writing prompts
Creativity

Free Writing Prompts for Autobiographies and Memoirs

Jump-starting the writing process can be difficult sometimes, which is why writing prompts are so popular. They give spark to the imagination, and provide the starting point to a story road map that only you, the author, can finish drawing out. Whether you simply use them to get your creative juices going, or the prompt triggers a memory that would serve as a perfect beginning, a little help with your writing topics might be just what the doctor ordered!

For today’s free writing prompts, I’ve started with a descriptive paragraph. Read the paragraph, then write it out in your notebook or type it into a document on your computer. When you get to the ellipsis (…) that’s where you’ll take over the writing prompt. Finish the paragraph in your own words and continue the writing exercise until you naturally reach a stopping point.

Writing Prompt for Biographies

“She was a rebel among her peers, refusing to follow society’s rules of how women should be. When someone told her she couldn’t do something, she’d laugh with her cavalier spirit and prove that person wrong by doing what others thought she couldn’t. She wore her hair short before it was fashionable, shocked others by wearing pants instead of dresses and spoke her mind, as other women meekly watched in wonder. To them, she was Louise, but to me, she was….”

Writing Prompts for Autobiographies

1.) “I sat with my toes exposed, leaning back as I sighed with relief. Relaxing on my front porch has been, and will always be, my little sanctuary. Whether it’s the sling-back Adirondack chairs, the way the trees send the right amount of cool air through, or how every spot on the porch holds a perfect view of the lake, it never gets old being here. It is my home, but for how long, I don’t know…”

2.) “‘Wake up!’ The man’s shouting woke me up from a lackluster sleep in my darkened quarters. I raised my head up to see who woke me up, only to see a gruff-looking guard staring menacingly at me through the bars. ‘You have a visitor,’ he flippantly proclaimed. Getting up quickly with anticipation, I hoped it was my lawyer to tell me this whole ordeal would be over and I could get back to my family. Yet, the one I saw at the visitor’s table was the last person I thought I would see, and truly, the one I needed the most…”

Final Thoughts

Share your thoughts on where these free writing prompts led you in the comments below!


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Blair Townley joined the Xulon Press family as a Staff Editor in May 2013, helping first-time authors prepare their treasured manuscripts for publication. Prior to Xulon Press, she previously worked as a staff writer/editor for several Central Florida-based magazines over the past decade. What Blair enjoys most about writing and editing is getting to help others share their stories, helping others see themselves as the unique individuals God created them to be.

2 Comments on “Free Writing Prompts for Autobiographies and Memoirs

    1. Biola, we are glad that you have found help with the writing prompt for writing an autobiography. Hopefully it has helped you get a great start on your autobiography and that we will get to see eventually your book during the process of being published through Xulon Press. Thanks again for commenting.

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