Janet and Caroline have conducted nearly a dozen editions of The 18 Somethings Project, some just for themselves and others open to the public. Here’s a sampling of some prompts and stats from a few of the public editions. (You’re welcome to use these prompts for your own writing.)
June 2013: 60 participants from Albuquerque to Australia, all first-time participants in 18 Somethings.
The prompts were:
- I forgot how
- whistle
- they hate the smell
- capslock
- our world was
- where the wound is
- a chorus of
- the ______ district
- he wanted more than
- elipses
- the war will be
- ring finger
- you are the
- winners and losers
- graffiti
- when we knew
- the texture of the
- how you left
December 2013: 106 participants representing 36 cities and 5 countries (including the US). 79 people were new participants.
The prompts were:
- I wear it as
- censor
- sleeveless
- his teeth like
- glacial
- the first edition
- to dig for
- shepherding
- a country of
- she doesn’t want
- corner
- what’s in their minds
- sweatpants
- never before seen
- a route towards
- binary
- imprinted upon
- you will
June 2014: 74 participants, with a big concentration in the Bay Area, as well as folks in Canada, the Philippines, Vietnam, and “the Open Road.” Prompts:
- what I avoided
- a recording of
- and the sun is
- shopping list
- him / hymn
- poodle
- what she forgot
- !!
- gap
- a vigil for
- your chest is
- entrenched
- the exact right thing was
- wind tunnel
- super_______
- it was enough
- we waited for
