Flashing Back
Write about your or your character’s earliest memory. Why is it so special? How has it informed their life today?
My earliest memory is of the first time I felt guilt: Sitting in my crib while I was supposed to be napping, watching my favorite doll shrink into nothingness because I thought it was fun to pull the stuffing out; walking through the aisles of Johnny's Toys full of shame when my mom took me to there to get a new doll to replace the one I'd purposefully destroyed.
This memory still affects me now, both in my inability to lie because of the shame it makes me feel and my fear of destroying the things I love. What traits about your POV characters can you explore by flashing back to their earliest memories?
Creative writing prompt: Write about your or your character's earliest memory. Why is it so special? How has it informed their life today?
Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.
About Cassandra Lipp
Cassandra Lipp is managing editor of Writer's Digest. She is the author of Queen City Records, which tells the stories behind the indie record shops of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Her work has appeared in Greener Pastures, The Belladonna, Little Old Lady, Points in Case, and Ohio's Best Emerging Poets 2019. Follow her on Twitter @Cassie000000.
