I Thought This Prompt Was a Questionnaire

But you could use each in a longer story

Sharon Meyers, EdD understands that sometimes, besides following our to-do lists, we have an urge to write and what better feeling than to connect with readers and other writers while sharing about ourselves?

I’ve posted Sharon’s link at the end of this piece, but here is a sample of what “10 Writing Prompts To Challenge You This Weekend” is about.

Are you looking for something to write this weekend but not feeling inspired?

I recently ran across several articles posing 10-question challenges.

I thought the idea was clever and wanted to try it.

But before I do, let me give a shout-out to the people who came up with the idea. Kudos to Cecília Santos, Lu Skerdoo, and Linda Ng for posting these cool writing challenges.

I used their stories as a guide and found 10 new questions I liked for this writing challenge.

I’ve included my answers to these thought-provoking questions, and you’ll find a list of the questions only at the end should you wish to try this.

Please tag me and include Sharon, as we’re interested in your answers.

So, now, for those who thought you knew me inside and out. Here’s a little more about me you might not know.

1. If you could jump into a pool of anything, what would it be full of? I’ve always had a fascination with jumping into a pool of mud and wrestling with a woman. Back in the day, this recreational pastime sounded like fun. I said back in the day because it’s no longer on my bucket list. Currently, if I could jump into a pool of anything, I’d fill it with puppies. By playing amongst them, I’d live a dream of wet, tiny kisses, overwhelming cuteness, and the opportunity to release stress therapeutically.

2. Have you ever had a nickname? What is it? When I was little, friends called me Willie. People created the nickname from my surname, and while I loved it among my friends, there was a glitch. My older brother had the same nickname among his friends, so I thought of myself as “Little Willie,” right around the time this was a popular song sung by The Sweet. In the song, Little Willie wouldn’t go home, leaving me feeling saddened. I felt huge dread and insignificance as I believed my brother’s friends saw me as a bother. I am no longer close friends with anyone from my childhood, and no one calls me Willie anymore.

3. What is the weirdest thing you’ve eaten? Although I’ve eaten squid, alligator, venison, and camel and kangaroo snack sticks, I still think the forkful of gourmet marinated octopus was the weirdest and most daring food I’ve eaten. The marinade hid the true octopus’s flavour, but as a pre-teen, I enjoyed it.

4. What’s the silliest way you’ve ever gotten an injury? Living life cautiously has helped me experience only a few major injuries. I’ve only ever broken one bone, and that was my baby toe. It was not a silly story. The incident that comes to mind happened this month when I was tired and in a stupor. I opened a door and placed my other hand on the door frame to balance myself. Instead of moving into the room, I stopped and forgot what I was doing. Before moving my hand, I slammed the door on my fingers. The story's moral is to get enough sleep or encourage others to show you courtesy by opening necessary doors for you.

5. What is the weirdest thing in your home? Can I say me? That would make the question a no-brainer, but otherwise, I’d choose the moose crossing sign, which my husband brought home. Although we’re Canadian, I’m fairly certain we’ll never find a moose in our condo. Unless we’re talking about the stuffed moose, I got years ago, and up to now, he’s never been cross.

6. What is one super-specific museum you would visit? While reading Sharon’s answers, I learned about Expedition: Bigfoot! The Sasquatch Museum in Cherry Log, Georgia, USA. This caught my attention. My husband, Ed, has developed a fascination for Bigfoot. He watches YouTube videos many evenings, keeping him curious, intrigued, and entertained. Sometimes, they even frighten him. I would consider going to this museum with my husband if I ever get my anxiety under control for travelling and I find a stockpile of cash.

7. If your phone could talk, what’s the most embarrassing thing it would reveal about you? It would share how technologically deficient I am and how, with all my Android features, I only know how to talk, text, and Google. If we’re talking about my home phone, its voice messaging would ask me to check it occasionally. I usually forget since 99% of the time, it’s telemarketers and scammers calling.

8. If you could only listen to one band/artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? I spend so much time on Medium, at work, or watching TV that I hardly listen to music other than when I’m in the car. Since I can’t choose the artists, it’s hard to think of one I’d choose for a lifetime, but I love listening to Anne Murray and Olivia Rodrigo. If I can only choose one, I’m showing my age and listening to Anne.

9. What’s the best compliment you ever received? I used to (and still do) dress extremely casually for work. I’ve worked at the same company for twenty-five years, and because most employees had little money, my then-boss asked me to dress down when I first started. Yes, seriously! I had little money, so complying wasn’t an issue. One day, my boss and I were attending a business lunch to honour our company that was included in Profit Magazine’s top one hundred companies. I showed up to work in a pin-striped business outfit, complete with a suit jacket and skirt, wearing full makeup. When my boss saw me, his eyes popped, and his jaw dropped. Then he told me I looked “spectacular.”

10. If you won the lottery, what are the three top things you would do first? The first thing I’d do is share the news with Ed because any tickets we buy, whether lottery or proline, we’ve promised to split. Then, I’d tell my family that their lives are going to change for the better drastically, then share the news and tell them I’m first consulting a financial advisor. Last, I’d consult the said financial advisor and cash my ticket.

Here are the questions so you can share about what makes you distinctly you.

1. If you could jump into a pool of anything, what would it be full of?
2. Have you ever had a nickname? What is it?
3. What is the weirdest thing you’ve eaten?
4. What’s the silliest way you’ve ever gotten an injury?
5. What is the weirdest thing in your home?
6. What is one super-specific museum you would visit?
7. If your phone could talk, what’s the most embarrassing thing it would reveal about you?
8. If you could only listen to one band/artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?
9. What’s the best compliment you ever received?
10. If you won the lottery, what are the three top things you would do first?

Well, that was fun. Now, it’s your turn.

You’ll find Sharon’s full prompt with her answers here.

Note this is great pub to publish your responses; however, where you publish is up to you.

Here are the participants and supporters of stories, quizzes, and challenges. Please show their stories some love. (Please let me know if you want your name removed from or added to the list. Either is easy to do, per your request. All you need to do is ask in the comments or a note.)

NancyO, Ruby Noir, Randy Pulley, The Sturg, Harry Hogg, Susie Winfield, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Trisha Faye, Bernie Pullen, Michelle Jimerson Morris, Paula Shablo, Brandon Ellrich, Ravyne Hawke, Pat Romito LaPointe, Karen Hoffman, Vincent Pisano, Michael Rhodes, Bruce Coulter, Rachella Angel Page, Pluto Wolnosci 🟣, Lisa Guard, Dixie Dodd, Adrian CDTPPW, Leigh-Anne Dennison, barry robinson, Jerry Dwyer, Jennifer Dunne, Lynn L. Alexander, Julia A. Keirns, Emma Vincent, Frances A. Chiu, Tooth Truth Roopa Vikesh, John Welford, Misty Rae, Deborah Joyce Goodwin (Red:The-Lady In Blue), John Hansen, Zaq Cass, John Hua Technology ☕️