ENG 1141: Introduction to Creative Writing

Course Readings and Materials

Writing the Story of Your Name

These prompts focus on names and the relationships three people have with their own names. Writing about your own name can be a lighthearted experience or it can be one that explores personal conflicts or relationships or loyalties that are challenging. Writing about our names brings out a lot of strong, personal writing because our connection with our names runs deep.

Remember also that the category of names can be first names, last names, middle names, full names, nicknames, artistic tags, legal names, married names…perhaps even user names you’ve chosen. We attach ourselves by choice and birth to many different names.

Here are some areas a name essay might reflect on:

  1. Who or what specific thing you are named after? Some people are named after songs, places, events, and, of course, in recognition of other people.
  2. How did you get your name? (the origin story)
  3. Who is the person who named you and why did they chose this name?
  4. What is your relationship with the spelling or pronunciation of your name? What responsibilities do you believe others have in learning to pronounce your name? These questions relate to our class  source: “America Say My Name” by Viet Thanh Nguyen
  5. Have you had any experience with legal issues in relationship to your name? Have you considered legally changing your name? Why would you or did you do this? What name would you change your name to if you could? These questions relate to our class source: “What’s In A Name?: A Lot As It Turns Out”-Max Pauson
  6. Does your name follow a family tradition? If so, describe it.
  7. What other aspect or experience with your name could you explore? What makes it specifically your own?
  8. If you made a video about your relationship with your name what would you include?  This relates to our class source: Mohamed Hassan-(un)LEARNING MY NAME

Note: It is important to remember that a name memoir should be something more than simply giving the meaning of your name though the writing might include this as a way of starting or adding to a larger question.