News stories. Do you remember a news story that changed your views or influenced your life?

• Perhaps when “I like Ike” was a slogan.
• During the protests of the Vietnam War.
• When the first men landed on the Moon.
• When the first atom bombs were dropped.
• When President Kennedy was shot.
• The 9/11 attacks.

Sometimes you hear a song or read a book at just the right time and it speaks to you and stays with you.

• Write about a book that made a difference in your life.
• Remember a song you heard at an important time that has stayed with you and brings memories every time you hear it.
• Was there a movie or play that presented you with a life lesson?

Remember gifts that you have received:

• What was the most surprising present you ever received?
• What was the occasion, who was present at the time, what did the gift mean to you
• Do you still have it? Use it?
• What would you like to tell the gift giver now about how much it meant to you?

Now think about presents you have given to others:

• What was the most surprising gift you ever gave to another? Who was it?
• What was the occasion, who was present at the time, what did the gift mean to you and to them when they opened it?
• Do they still have it? Use it?
• What would you like to tell the person now about how much they mean to you then?

Read The 10 most important things I’ve learned about trust over my 100 years from the Washington Post.

George P. Shultz’s article could be expanded so that each of his ten points could be an entire chapter. This is a good example of taking a theme, as Mr. Shultz chose trust, and collecting stories around that theme. As you review and sort the stories you have written, look for an underlying theme.

Possible themes:

• the land where you or your family lived and your connection to it, the beauty of the seasons there and what the land means to you.
• center on your family life and things you learned from your parents and elders and how you applied those lessons in your life.
• your children and what you tried to teach them as they grew and how your family activities mirrored those ideas.
• your work life and the principles you brought to the profession.

Any of these, and others, could be a unifying element for organizing your life stories.

Think of a friends in your life. Perhaps a friend you have not seen in many years. After you write the story, consider sharing it with your friend. It could spark them to write a story about you or invigorate your friendship.

• How did you meet?
• What were some of your experiences together?
• What experience stands out in your memory more than any other?
• Was that person there for you during a difficult time in your life?
• Were you able to be there for them when they really needed a friend?
• Write about ways they encouraged you to succeed or protected you from disappointment.
• Do you remember a special gift they gave you be it material or an emotional gift?
• Did they introduce you to someone who became special in your life?

Listing those people who helped you get to where you are today gives you a brainstorming tool for story prompts.

The list can bring people to mind you may want to thank for their assistance. MovingUp is a website that gives you a few quick prompts about family, friends, influences, places, work colleagues, and other sources of inspiration that assisted in your life and will aid you in constructing your list.

• Start by watching Bob McKinnon’s TedTalk.
• Read more about dream teams at MovingUp.
• Fill in your Dream Team form.
• Learning your Dream Team may help you identify important stories you want to write — or maybe not. But it will certainly highlight the people and events that influenced who you are today.

Complete the sentence that starts with “The time when . .

Here are some examples to get you thinking.

• “I lost 50 pounds in 3 months and became a lean, mean, fighting machine.”
• “My mother stopped measuring my height on the kitchen door. Life Lesson Learned: I started to think about measuring myself.”
• “When my principal laughed at me and . . .”
• “I was invited to help write a book on recording audio books. I learned that other people in my field recognized and respected my knowledge and skills.”
• “I worked with __________________ (famous or special person).”
• “I finally understood my worth and life changed in these ways _____________________.”
• “I realized she was not for me.”
• “I froze in fear on the freeway.”
• “I wrote my sister’s obituary. The life lesson learned is that I can have a healthy relationship with my biggest fears.”
• “I moved to Alaska . . . ”

Describe yourself in six words. You can use six individual words or a short sentence.

I recently participated in a Zoom class that started with this prompt. I replied “California, Alaska, commercial fisherman, book publisher.”

You can be very inventive in few words. Be adventurous and give us a clue about your life story. Here are some examples I’ve heard.

• “Will I put the kettle on?”
• “Can you see me counting fingers.”
• “Orphans need not whiskey or cigarettes.”
• “Why did she marry the enemy?”
• “The fire ate 18 young women.”
• “Homeless cats dreaming of cities.”
• “You made me feel as though I matter.”
• “I’ve always wanted to be a professional recreationalist.”
• “Kansas mother institutionalized for life. Why?”
• “Family, food, forest, one lovely mess.”
• “Voices from the past speak again.”
• “Lost by plague, recovery by travel.”
• “Idaho is my dowager aunt with a story to tell.”

Many people have a formal name as well as a shortened version or nickname.

• Do you know why you were given your formal name?
• What nicknames have you had?
• Who gave you your nicknames?
• What is the background for your nicknames?