More Autobiography Prompts

3. Personal Alphabet: Browse through a dictionary, looking for adjectives to describe yourself. Know the
meaning of the words you select and be able to explain how each word you’ve chosen fits you. Choose at leastONE adjective for each letter of the alphabet. Be sure you choose the adjective form of words. For example, “excite” is a verb and “excitable” is an adjective. “Exciting” is a participle so it can be used as an

adjective…BUT “excitable” and “exciting” mean very different things.

4. Likes / Dislikes List: Make TWO columns, one titled “Likes,” the other “Dislikes,” and list from TEN to FIFTEEN specific items in each column. Avoid naming specific classmates and teachers by generalizing. For

example, “that mean teacher who’s making me write an autobiography,” not my name!

5. Sensory Experiences: The five senses allow us to perceive whatever is tangible, or concrete. A sensory

experience is something we can taste, touch, smell, see, or hear. For example, ice-cold water-melon, hot dogs sizzling over a charcoal fire, mosquito bites, fireworks, and the music of the ice-cream wagon are sensory experiences I associate with a Fourth of July picnic. Describe a specific time and place which recalls rich

 

sensory experiences for you. Include at least TWO details that appeal to each of the FIVE senses.

6. Metaphorical Definitions: This kind of definition helps make abstract words easier to under-stand by

giving a specific concrete example. A famous metaphorical definition is “Happiness is a warm puppy.” For you, happiness may be something very different — a raise in your allowance, a banana split, a room of your own.

Write metaphorical definitions of TEN different abstract nouns. Your concrete example must be something

specific that you can sense — taste, touch, smell, see, or hear. Your definitions should follow the format below:

METAPHORICAL DEFINITION = ABSTRACT NOUN + IS + CONCRETE EXAMPLE

7. A Quality Personality: In J. Ruth Gendler’s The Book of Qualities, 70 abstract qualities come to life,

walking and talking, borrowing Grandmother’s shawl and telling scary stories late into the night…
personification at its best! Precise, specific images reveal each abstract quality as a vivid personality. After you read samples in class, choose one quality from the list provided. Check the dictionary and the thesaurus, exploring possible meanings and hunting down synonyms. These qualities are real people, with weird relatives, bad friends, unique clothing styles, and strange stories

to tell. Make your chosen quality a real personality, too. Complete a sensory CLUSTER for your quality — sight, smell, taste, touch, sound. Then write and carefully polish a ONE-to-THREE-paragraph personification of your

quality. Make every word count on this one!

8. Color Your World: In color, and about color, this assignment honors every crayon ever nibbled by any

kid. Although you don’t have to use crayons, use the color(s) themselves as part of your writing. You could
write a poem about the things you associate with a specific color, such as all the blues there are! Or explain the
colors you associate with different emotions. Or make lists of best colors to wear or drive in or…You have
freedom with content here, since color is the key ingredient. Maybe a myth about “How Pink Was Born”?