If you’re thinking of writing memoir and wondering where to start, here’s a suggestion for your weekly creative writing prompt: choose a memory from your childhood that involves a toy.

There’s a very well-known radio ad for Barry’s Tea that runs here in Ireland every Christmas (yes, I know it is only October, but bear with me) which many people agree is a perfect example of how to capture an era and a memory – in just 90 seconds. Listen here (but please come back!).

Forgive me for directing you to Facebook, but sometimes these things are necessary. It is only for a minute and a half, and you don’t need a FB account to listen. I agree the ad is a bit twee and sentimental, but it has been going since 1994 and is very popular.

Back to the written word: a particular toy will often stir memories, and if you are writing memoir, whether for general publication or simply for sharing with your friends and family, this can be a good departure point.

The toy could be one you longed for (as in the Barry’s Tea ad) or one you never got (I always wanted a Barbie doll, but my parents never ceded that battle). You might have had to share your toy, or pass it on to another child. Or you could still have some of your childhood playthings gathering dust in the attic.

Memories of how you came by the toys, what games you played and who you played with can be turned into interesting memoir. Often, it is not someone’s unusual life story that makes memoir interesting, but the clever way with words which turns the seemingly mundane into something compelling. Train sets and Barbie dolls are common enough, but in your personal account of their place in your life – and what came next – they can make for entertaining reading.

Call back next week, Wednesday at 5pm (Dublin time), for another creative writing prompt/exercise to help you produce some new written work. Subscribe (for free) to get a notification every time a new post here goes live.