Prompt 1

Think of an experience that happened at least 10 years ago.

Something you keep thinking about; something that holds your attention, something you can’t let go of, something you can’t shake.

The experience hangs around, reminding you of that time.

It could be a positive thing, or it could be a difficult thing.

Something that has energy for you.

Write the experience in the voice of younger “you” when it happened. Write only what you knew at the time. “This happened, then that happened.”

You don’t have perspective of time having gone by.

Write from the point of view of your younger self.

Prompt 2

That younger person is thought of as the voice of innocence, when you only knew what you experienced at that age, at that time. Since then, you have had more experiences and time to reflect.

Write the experience again using a persona that represents you now, after you have had time to think about what happened.

Prompt 3

Weave the two freewrites together, combining the voice of innocence and the voice of experience.

Reflection by Nicole Zimmerman:

Innocence “reveals the sequence of events, the particulars of your experience,” while Experience “reflects back on the story, the past, and guides the reader through the maze of the experience.”

Inspired by “Innocence & Experience: Voice in Creative Nonfiction” by Sue William Silverman, Brevity, June 20, 2025