7,500 Questions for Use When Storytelling (Detailed)
7500-plus questions to ask people for storytelling with links to 28 articles, and 108 categories.

These interview prompts and questions about life to ask people when writing narratives explore childhood, youth, adult, and senior adult years. The prompts and questions are provided to help you look at life from as many angles as possible when writing narratives about yourself, your family, and others. Use these prompts and questions to help you

  • Identify events and memories you can write about
  • Organize and write your narrative and story
  • Develop questions to ask other people about their life’s
  • Organize, research and write stories about others
  • Know what type of information to include in narratives and stories
  • Identify memorabilia, artifacts, photos, documents to include in stories
  • Develop ideas for journaling, story starters, poetry, memoirs, and more

Writing Prompts and Questions About Life Series

The questions about the life series include the following 28 articles that focus on specific or similar topics. Each article includes categories that explore the topic through life stages like childhood, teenage, youth, young adult, adult and senior adult years. Each category will introduce questions about the topic from many angles. Use the questions in interviews and when writing narratives about yourself, your family, and others. The topics and categories covered include:

About Life Series Topics. Click on the topic to be taken to the topic and category summary.

1. Personal Narrative Story Themes and Ideas 2. Individuals Life Story 3. Marriage and Divorce 4. Family Relationships
5. Raising A Family 6. Physical Characteristics 7. Personality Traits and Values 8. Traditions and Customs
9. Friendships 10. School Years 11. Entertainment and Culture 12. Employment
13. Moving and Hometown 14. Religion 15. Personal Finances 16. Medical History
17. Legal Matters 18. Immigration 19. Individual Lifetime Overview 20. Death of Individual
21. Obituary 22. Historical Events 23. Military Soldier (Generic) 24. Gulf War Soldier (1990-1991)
25. Vietnam War Soldier 26. Korean War Soldier (1950-1953) 27. WWII Soldier (1939-1945) 28. WWI Soldier (1914-1918)

Questions About Life for Storytelling

You will note that many of the questions are open-ended questions. I believe open-ended questions are the best type of questions to ask others. Open-ended questions allow people to tell stories they want to share. An example of open-ended questions are:

  • What did you like to do when you were a little girl?
  • What did you do on your first date?
  •  Where do you like to go for a vacation?
  • Who is your favorite author, and why?
  • What some of your favorite experiences with your mom and dad?

When I interviewed my dad, I lived in a different state. I asked my dad if I could set up a series of telephone interviews that I could record. I chose to break up the interview into 10 60- to 90-minute sessions over six weeks. Each talk focused on a different time or topic of his life. At the end of each interview, I outlined what I wanted to cover in the following interview to give my dad time to ponder what stories he wanted to share. During our interviews, he shared many personal stories that I had never heard. We laughed, cried, and shared many precious and tender moments.

Did I ask my parents and others the questions exactly as they are listed? No. I used the questions to begin our discussion and explore the stories they wanted to share. I would encourage you to make these questions your own and personalize them with the person you are interviewing. When you are ready to conduct an interview, have the questions to get the information you desire. Family conversations can go in many directions. When possible, with the permission of the person you are interviewing, record the interview on audio or video.

About Life Series Articles and Categories

7,500-plus Questions

Find below a summary of each article associated with the About Life Series. Click on the article title or categories to be taken directly to the content.

Approach each topic from the point of view of the person/lives you are writing about. You don’t have to ask every question. Review the questions and determine which ones are most appropriate to ask. I would encourage you to modify and add questions as you desire.

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1. Personal Narrative Story Themes and Ideas

In the article, 275 Story Themes and Ideas for Writing Your Narrative, you will find suggestions of themes and topics to consider when writing a personal narrative. Areas covered include relationships, personal interests, events, memorable moments, holidays, vacations, and private thoughts. Categories include:

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2. Individuals’ Life Story

In the article, 351 Questions to Ask Others About Their Life’s Story, the interview and writing prompt and questions about life focus on an individual’s life story. Areas covered include early years, school years, Marriage, Family, Parents and Grandparents, profession and career, military and war and personal experiences.

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3. Marriage and Divorce

In the article, 309 Questions About Marriage and Divorce to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover areas like meeting each other, dating, engagement, marriage, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The six categories included in the article are as follow:

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7,500-plus Questions-Family


4. Family Relationships

In the article, 352 Questions About Family Relationships to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover various family relationships from birth and adoption to parents and grandparents, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The thirteen categories included in the article are as follow:

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5. Raising A Family

In the article, 171 Questions About Raising A Family to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover many aspects of family life such as events, values, traditions, religion, relationships, culture, finances, disappointments, struggles, happy moments, and more, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

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6. Physical Characteristics

In the article, 376 Questions About Physical Characteristics to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompt and questions about life cover physical features of your body such as hair, face, teeth, hearing. Questions explore decisions made to change, help, and improve the body, such as tattoos, plastic surgery, amputation, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The four categories included in the article are as follow:

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7,500-plus Questions-Physical Traits


7. Personality Traits and Values

In the article, 155 Questions About Personality Traits to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover aspects of your personality traits and values, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The four categories included in the article are as follow:

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8. Traditions and Customs

In the article, 501 Questions About Traditions to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover traditions you had as individuals, family, community, religion, culture, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The five categories included in the article are as follow:

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9. Friendships

In the article, 409 Questions about Friendship to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover friendship, activities, communication, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The six categories included in the article are as follow:

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7,500-plus Questions-Education


10. School Years

In the article, 460 Questions About School Years to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover school description, grades, teachers, activities, sports, band, dances, dates, nicknames, family, friends, pranks, discipline, groups, subjects, memorabilia, memories, fashion, accomplishments, graduation, future plans, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The ten categories included in the article are as follow:

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11. Entertainment and Culture

In the article, 318 Questions About Entertainment to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover culture, activities, hobbies, travel, sports, games, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The three categories included in the article are as follow:

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12. Employment

In the article, 524 Questions About Employment to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover changes in your career, jobs, unemployment, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The eight categories included in the article are as follow:

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13. Moving and Hometown

In the article, 254 Questions about Moving to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover memories about your hometown, physical features and characteristics, neighborhood, favorite places. The moving questions cover your home, reasons behind the move, moving experience, new home and community, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The six categories included in the article are as follow:

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7,500-plus Questions-Religion


14. Religion

In the article, 275 Questions About Religion to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover religious beliefs, practices, preferences, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The five categories included in the article are as follow:

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15. Personal Finances

In the article, 331 Questions About Personal Finances to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover personal finances that include earning, spending, saving, investing, donations and more, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The five categories included in the article are as follow:

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16. Medical History

In the article, 275 Questions About Medical History to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover all aspects of your health, disease and recovery, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The five categories included in the article are as follow:

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7,500-plus Questions-Immigration

17. Legal Matters

In the article, 314 Questions About Legal Matters to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover various legal actions like divorce, arrest, lawsuits, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The five categories included in the article are as follow:

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18. Immigration

In the article, 226 Questions About Immigration to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover reasons for immigration, homeland, immigration story, family, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The two categories included in the article are as follow:

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19. Individual Lifetime

Overview In the article, 105 Questions About Individual Lifetime to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover various highlights of a person’s life, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

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20. Death of Individual

In the article, 63 Questions About Death of Individual to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover various aspects and memories about the person how has died, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

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21. Obituary

In the article, 53 Questions to Ask When Writing an Obituary, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover various aspects and memories about the person, including thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

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7,500-plus Questions-Historical Events


22. Historical Events

In the article, 264 Questions about Historical Events to Ask People When Writing Narratives, the interview and writing prompts and questions about historical events cover personal, family and external events such as natural disasters, war, health, pandemic, political, religious, discrimination, death, foreign events and more, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The four categories included in the article are as follow:

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23. Military Soldier

In the article, 287 Questions to Ask When Writing A Military Soldier Narrative, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life. These questions are for an individual who served in the military at any time or place. The questions cover the branch of service, training, activities, memories, injuries, associations with people who stayed home (e.g., spouse, children, friends, family) coming home, life after military service/War, perceptions, memorabilia, events, The two categories included in the article are as follow:

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24. Gulf War Soldier

In the article, 296 Questions to Ask When Writing A Gulf War Soldier Narrative, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover the branch of service, training, activities, memories, injuries, associations with people who stayed home (e.g., spouse, children, friends, family) coming home, life after military service/War, perceptions, memorabilia, events, The two categories included in the article are as follow:

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25. Vietnam War Soldier (1959-1975)

In the article, 298 Questions to Ask When Writing A Vietnam War Soldier Narrative, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover the branch of service, training, activities, memories, injuries, associations with people who stayed home (e.g., spouse, children, friends, family) coming home, life after military service/War, perceptions, memorabilia, events, The two categories included in the article are as follow:

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7,500-plus Questions-Korean War


26. Korean War Soldier (1950-1953)

In the article, 293 Questions to Ask When Writing A Korean War Soldier Narrative, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover the branch of service, training, activities, memories, injuries, associations with people who stayed home (e.g., spouse, children, friends, family) coming home, life after military service/War, perceptions, memorabilia, events, The two categories included in the article are as follow:

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27. WWII Soldier (1939-1945)

In the article, 342 Questions to Ask When Writing A WWII Soldier Narrative, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover the branch of service, training, activities, memories, injuries, associations with people who stayed home (e.g., spouse, children, friends, family) coming home, life after military service/War, perceptions, memorabilia, events, The two categories included in the article are as follow:

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28. WWI Soldier

In the article, 268 Questions to Ask When Writing A WWI Soldier Narrative, the interview and writing prompts and questions about life cover the branch of service, training, activities, memories, injuries, associations with people who stayed home (e.g., spouse, children, friends, family) coming home, life after military service/War, perceptions, memorabilia, events, The two categories included in the article are as follow:

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