Medora’s Olympia House Plan – 1912

My all-time favorite writing prompt goes like this:

1.  Draw the floor plan of the first house you lived in that you can clearly remember.
2. Choose a “favorite” room and sketch in the furniture and other important features.
3. Write about a memory associated with that room.

In my experience this exercise works with writers of all ages – from first grade students who still need to dictate their ideas, to senior citizens taking writing workshops in an effort to get beyond “writer’s block.”  What’s more, it‘s a prompt with endless variations:  tell about someone you associate with the room; tell about your least favorite room and why you feel that way about it; compare that early house with places you’ve lived since; and on and on.

Try it!  If nothing else, you may find yourself on the way to writing your memoirs.