Name the cook and the occasion
Give future readers a person and a moment to picture.
STORY PROMPTS / 02
Questions that open a door, not a file.
Choose a prompt that feels comfortable. Let the conversation wander; the best detail may arrive after the question has been answered.
A POCKET GUIDE FOR LISTENING
Four ways into a memory.
01
Begin with a place
What did the front step, kitchen, schoolyard, or street look like? What sounds or smells do you associate with it?
02
Follow a tradition
Who taught you this custom, dish, song, or celebration? What has changed since you first remember it?
03
Find the turning point
Was there a day when plans changed? What do you remember noticing first, and who was nearby?
04
Ask about an object
Is there a tool, keepsake, photograph, or piece of furniture with a story attached? How did it come into the family?
MAKE A SHORT ENTRY
Title: A phrase you will remember.
Told by: The person sharing it.
When: Today’s date and any date the story concerns.
Detail: One concrete image, sound, or line of dialogue.
Permission: Who may read or share this account.
A RECIPE IS A STORY, TOO
Write down what the card leaves out.
Alongside ingredients, note who taught the method, which step is done by feel, and what the dish means when it appears at the table.
Keep the practical detail
Record the pan, texture, timing, and substitutions that make it work.
Add one sensory memory
Describe the aroma, the sound in the room, or who always asked for seconds.