Everyone has a story. But knowing where to start can be the hardest part.
That’s why we’ve put together a few simple prompts — not to test your memory, but to spark it. There’s no “right” way to respond. You can write a few lines, a paragraph, a full page. You can scribble it in a notebook and send us a photo of it or type it out late at night. You can use a voice recorder if that feels easier.
There are no rules. Just start wherever you are. However you want to tell it, we’re listening.
Use whichever prompt moves you, then send your submission (up to 1000 words) to editor@thehumanwriters.com. If you can, include a photo — and let us know the city and country you’re writing from.
1. Tell us about a moment that changed everything — even if no one else noticed.
Not all turning points are loud. Sometimes it’s a quiet decision, a look, a gut feeling you followed (or ignored). What shifted?
2. Write about something you survived.
It doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes the hardest things are quiet. A loss, a heartbreak, a season of loneliness, a job you stayed in too long. What got you through?
3. What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?
Think back to who you were — hopeful, scared, bold, unsure. What would you say with the wisdom you have now?
4. Describe a place you loved that no longer exists.
A house, a street, a shop, a landscape. What did it smell like? Sound like? Who were you there?
5. Write about a time you said no — or wish you had.
“No” can be an act of defiance, of self-preservation, or of deep love. When did you find your voice … or lose it?
6. What’s something you’ve never said out loud, until now?
A confession. A truth. A thought you’ve carried for years. Big or small, funny or tender — put it on the page.
7. Write about a regret you’ve made peace with — or haven’t.
Maybe you’ve come to terms with it. Maybe you haven’t. Either way, it left a mark. Where do you feel it?
8. What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done that no one clapped for?
Tell it anyway.
9. Who were you before the world told you who to be?
What remains of that version of you?
10. Tell the story of something that broke — and what (if anything) came from the pieces.
Something cracked, shifted, fell apart. Maybe it was a relationship, a belief, a version of yourself. What happened after the breaking? Did something new grow from it — or did it simply leave a space? Tell us what changed.
11. I remember…
Start with these two words — and just keep going.
Don’t worry about grammar, structure, or making it perfect. This is about following your memories wherever they lead. One thought might tumble into the next: a smell, a place, a sound, a face you haven’t seen in years.
Let the sentence carry you. Let the story surprise you.
