Writing Prompts for Fathering Together

Crafting Your Story

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

The importance of storytelling cannot be understated. Stories hand down knowledge from one generation to the next. They build connections and deepen relationships and help us understand the world around us.

Stories are what give us humanity and see the humanity in others.

At FatheringTogether, we want to hear yours. Currently, we are looking for stories that fall into one of six categories.

1. Birth Stories — It can be hard to put into words the amazing experience of holding your child for the first time. The rush of emotions, the dawning reality of responsibilities, and all the experiences you want to share with them. So, what was it like to be there when your child was born? What were your first thoughts and reactions to holding them?
2. Adventure Stories — Family road trips, hikes in the woods, or a trip to the grocery store can hold thousands of stories, both humorous and slightly terrifying. Reflect on a time that you led your children on an adventure and share with us what took place. Or perhaps, it is a story from your childhood and your father had the best of intentions when you headed to the campground, but something went awry. Tell us what happened and what you learned from it!
3. Balancing Work and Life — How did you learn to find the balance between work and family life? Perhaps your father did a good job finding that balance and passed it down to you… or perhaps not. Tell us how you find time to build your career and remain committed to your family. What are your tricks, tips, and daily practices that keep things balanced. And if you’re struggling to find that balance, share with us how that is impacting you and your family.
4. Stories of Failure — We all fail. It is part of growing and learning. Share with us a story of how you failed in your role as father or a time when you failed as a child and how your father reacted. What did you learn about yourself in that moment? What did you learn about your father?
5. Legacy Stories — These are stories that ask the questions of “what will you pass on to your children” and “what did your father pass on to you?” But just as important, is the question of why?
6. Reunion Stories — Relationships can ebb and flow. There are forces that disconnect us from our family and friends and then reconnect us when we may not realize it. Share with us how you reconnected with your father or with your children. What forces separated you and what brought you back together?

As you reflect on the stories in your life, here are a few additional questions to consider.

What is the theme/point of the story you want to tell?

• Above we’ve provided six themes, but there are many more. If your story doesn’t connect to one of our themes, we still want to hear it because we plan to expand on these theme with monthly featured themes.

Where and when is this story taking place?

• Setting is just as important as anything else. It can even be a character that helps drive the narrative.

How long should my story be?

• The short answer is as long as you need to get your point across. However, we recommend stories should be between 500 and 2500 words, which translates to 4–6 minutes to read.

To submit a story for Fathering Together, you must first fill out our submission form.

Happy writing!