Post #23 – Women’s Memoirs, Writing Prompt – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler
Written by: Promptly Portland
Last weekend we visited a park that housed a large hay bale maze. It was fun watching the children as they ran around the intricate pattern. The smallest children would jump every so often to figure out where they were. The older children could easily see the exit, but they still managed to get 
themselves into dead ends and had to turn around and try another direction to get out. As I stood observing the children and listening to their excited voices, I began thinking of a maze as a metaphor for life.
Sometimes we know exactly where we are going. At this point in my life, I can see a path ahead. It won’t be easy, but I know my goal. But it hasn’t always 
been that way and I’ve certainly found myself at dead ends. The problem with a real life dead end versus a maze dead end is that it is hard to know what to do. It’s obvious that you just turn around when you’re in a maze but in life no one wants to go back the way that they just came.
Here’s my writing prompt challenge for you this week. You’ll notice that it takes a different form.
500 Words (or More):
Choose 1 and 2 plus 5
OR
3 and 4 plus 5
1. Create a list of 3 major dead ends in your life.
2. 
Write one paragraph about each dead end. How did you get there? How long were you there before you realized it was a dead end? Did you get out of the dead end on your own or did you have help? How long did it take you to get out of the dead end? After you got out of that dead end did you make forward progress in your life or did you start down a path that brought you to another dead end?
OR
3. Create a list of 3 major right turns in your life.
4. Write one paragraph about each right turn. What factors lead you to each turning point? Did you know you were coming to a turning point or did situations just work out for you? After a major turning point did you know how to proceed forward?
AND
5. Pretend you are standing in a maze right now. Where are you? Do you think of yourself as near the opening with many challenges ahead? Do you have a vision of what is needed to move smoothly through the maze? Are you nearing a dead end? If so, can you recognize it now and move out before spending more time on a path that won’t take you any place? What resources do you need to successfully negotiate the maze and where will you get them?
Until next time,
-Promptly Portland
