In this exercise, you’ll imagine what the life of a person you know was like before you met them. You might choose to write about someone many years older than you, such as a parent, grandparent, or teacher. For example, does your mother, who now takes the Skytrain to her job in Burnaby, grow up in a tiny village in India? You might write about a friend you just met, considering their life before you crossed paths. Use your imagination coupled with your experience of this person. Certain artifacts may offer clues: objects, newspaper clippings, photographs. Complete the essay by contrasting this imagined past of how the person is today. Are they different? How?

This exercise is adapted from one found on “Telling the Truths: Creative Non-Fiction Exercises,” a blog written for Morehead State University’s Advanced Creative Non-Fiction Course.

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Details on EVENT’s 2016 annual Non-Fiction Contest.