August Writing Challenges: Day 6 - Memories

August. The summer is nearly over. Kids are going back to school. You now have some time on your hands.  Okay, you still have a list of chores a mile long, but let's put writing at the top of the priority list, okay?

I am going to challenge you with a writing prompt every day this month. Are you up for it? I hope so.

The writing challenges will be about a variety of topics and hopefully cause you to dig into your writing toolbox to complete with emotional skill.

Watch out, I just might throw in a fun one, well, just for fun!

For the sixth challenge we're going to go back in time:

Here is your challenge:

Take a time from your life (or imagine time) that you were bullied at school. Who was the bully and how did he or she affect you? Imagine a sit down chat with the bully in which the person could not bully you and had to share his or her feelings. What do you thing you would learn?

If this challenge is too personal or triggers some past trauma issues, please don't use it. Here is an alternate challenge:

Describe your first school crush or your first school significant other. What was it like? How did you feel walking around the school and possibly having people talk about you? Feel fee to talk about the entire relationship.


Going back in time and remembering events in your life can be easy or hard. Some memories come easily, while others are fuzzy and hard to remember. That's okay. That's life. The best thing about writing a memoir, is you get to re-write your story.

I hope you find this challenge helpful.

You're Special: Use it in your Writing

I know that you've heard the old adage "Write what you know," am I right? If that were really true, only serial killers would be writing thrillers and such, but it's not, so some of us have to to research and write outside out comfort zone.

However, we all have some special knowledge and experience that we can work into our fiction. It's a definite advantage to us and we can make it interesting to our readers. And, best of all it gives us a great credibility with our publishers and the public. You are unique.


So, what do you know?
Even if you haven't worked in any important or interesting field, don't think that you don't have material you can draw from. Use some time now to make a list of what experience you have and what you've learned.

• experiences you have lived
• places you have lived
• friends you have made
• hobbies
• times in school
• jobs you've held
• volunteer work
• places you've visited
• romantic relationships
• experiences as parent, aunt, uncle, or godparent, or grandparent
• health background

It's important to remember to use your expertise, but don't overuse it. Don't let your expertise become overwhelming.

Always sprinkle in interesting facts that wouldn't otherwise be known to crease a sense or realism among the characters and in the setting. It will let the reader know that they are right in the middle of the author's world.

What special gifts do you offer the world?

Copyright: dacasdo / 123RF Stock Photo


Reference by:
Your Writing Coach by Jurgen Wolff