409 Friendship Questions to Ask People (Storytelling)

Ask people these 409 friendship questions for storytelling.

I have interviewed hundreds of people about their friendships. Based on the answers I received in those interviews, I have listed writing prompts and questions about friendships to ask people when writing narratives. The friendships series includes six categories that explore childhood, youth, adult, and senior adult years. 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 to Ask People

The “Friendships” writing prompts and questions to ask people are part of the 28 articles, 108 category series entitled “7,500-plus Questions About Life to Ask People When Writing Narratives.” The prompts and questions are provided to help you look at friendships from as many angles as possible when writing narratives about yourself, your family, and others. The categories and types of topics covered include:

• Childhood Friendships (Age 0-11). Find 47 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover friendship, activities, communication, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Teenager Friendships (Age 11-18). Find 66 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover friendship, activities, communication, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Dating and Relationships. Find 99 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover friendship, activities, communication, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Young Adult Friendships (Age 18-25). Find 66 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover friendship, activities, communication, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Adult Friendships (Age 25-65). Find 65 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover friendship, activities, communication, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Senior Adult Friendships (Age 65+). Find 66 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover friendship, activities, communication, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

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.

I have prepared a couple of other resources that will provide value in interviewing for and writing individual, personal, and family narratives: “Complete Guide for Conducting Oral History Interviews” and “Complete Guide to Writing A Personal Narrative.”

Childhood Friendships (Age 0-11)

Writing Prompts and Questions about Friendships

“Childhood Friendships (Age 0-11)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Friendship. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. What are your earliest memories of having a friend?
   • What were the names of your friends?
   • Where did you meet? Such as neighborhood? School? Church? Activities?
   • What did you like to do with friends?
   • What did you like about your friends?
2. When do you think you first understood the term “Friend”?
3. Did you ever get into trouble with a friend? Explain?
4. Did your parents have playdates?
5. What was your favorite activity with friends?
6. Did you have a best friend during this time of your life?
   • What do you remember?
7. Do you remember having any quarrels as friends? Explain.
8. What were some of the funniest things you did as friends?
9. What did you like to do with friends indoors?
   • What do you remember?
10. What did you like to do with friends outdoors?
    • What do you remember?
11. What were your favorite places to go with friends?
    • What do you remember?
12. What did you like to do in your home with friends? Explain.
13. What do you like to do at the home of friends? Explain.
14. Did you have one set of friends? OR Did you have different sets of friends? Such a set of friends at school, sports, organizations, church?
    • If different sets of friends? Talk about how each set of friends was different?
15. Did you ever get into a fight with a friend?
    • What do you remember?
16. Did they ever get into a physical fight with a friend?
    • What do you remember?
17. Did you ever want to be part of a group of friends because they were “cool”?
    • What did you remember?
    • Did you ever become part of that group?
    • What experience what you thought it would be? Explain.
18. Where did you like to hang out with friends?
19. Did you have a best friend from this time?
    • What did you like about this person?
    • Why do you think you became best friends?
    • What did you like to do together?
    • As you grew older, did you stay friends? Explain.
20. Was there ever a time when you had to move away from friends?
    • What do you remember about the experience?
    • Did you keep in touch with any of your friends?
    • What was it like to make new friends?
21. Was there ever a time when you broke up with friends?
    • What do you remember?
    • How did you feel?
22. Did you ever lose a friend to death?
    • What do you remember?
    • How did it make you feel?
    • Did your parents help you understand the experience? How?

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Teenager Friendships (Age 11-18)

Writing Prompts and Questions about Friendship

“Teenager Friendships (Age 11-18)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Friendship. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. What is your definition of a friend?
2. Who would you consider to be good friends with whom you had lasting relationships?
   • What is the name of each person?
   • Where did you meet them? Work? Church? Organization/club? Neighbor? School? Sports? Other?
   • What drew you to each person?
   • Describe each person?
   • How did the friendship start and evolve?
   • What did you like to do with each friend?
   • How long did the friendship last?
   • If still going, how have you kept the friendship going?
   • What did you like to do with friends?
3. Did all your friends associate together, or were there separate groups?
4. Did you or your friends do service for others?
   • What did you do?
   • How did it make you feel?
5. Where did you just hang out with friends?
   • What did you do?
6. Did you or your friends ever participate in an activity that you were later sorry for?
   • What was the experience?
   • What do you remember?
   • What happened afterward?
7. Was there ever a time when you were frighted or scared with a friend? Explain.
8. Was there ever a time when a person you disliked became your friend? Explain.
9. What there ever a time when your friendship was strained?
   • Explain what happened?
   • Were you able to resolve the situation? If yes, how? If no, why?
10. Was there one friend that was more special than others?
    • What made the relationship special?
    • What made it more special than other friendships?
    • How long did the friendship last?
    • If still going, how have you kept the friendship going?
    • What did you cherish most about the friendship?
    • Was there ever a time when your friend needed you? Explain the need?
    • Were you able to support your friend? How?
    • Did you ever lose touch with this person? Explain.
11. What there ever a time when you needed your friends?
    • Describe the situations?
    • Did your friends support you? How?
    • What did their support mean?
    • Did their support strengthen your friendship?
    • If you did not receive the support, what happened?
    • Did that change your friendship?
12. How did you like to communicate with friends?
    • Letters? Greeting Cards? Postcards? eMail? Facebook? Phone? Other?
13. Did you ever lose a friend?
    • Describe the circumstances?
    • Did you discuss this with the person? If yes, what was the focus of the conversation/communication?
14. Did you ever disappoint a friend?
    • What happened?
    • Did you stay friends? Explain.
    • What did you learn from the experience?
15. Did you ever feel like there was a competition between you and a friend?
    • In what areas?
    • Describe the competition?
    • Was the competition heated or friendly?
16. What qualities were essential to you as a friend?
17. How would your friends describe you?
18. Did you ever reconnect with a friend with whom you lost contact?
    • Explain the situation?
    • What happened after you connected?
19. Did you find it challenging to spend time with friends as you grew older?
    • Did family, work, or other commitments get in the way?
20. Did you ever lose a friend to death?
    • What do you remember?
    • How did it make you feel?
    • Did your parents help you understand the experience? How?

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Dating and Relationships 

Writing Prompts and Questions about Friendships

“Dating and Relationships” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Friendship. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. Did you ever have a crush on someone?
   • Who was the person?
   • How old were you?
   • Did the person know you had a crush on them?
   • How did you let the person know you liked them?
   • Did you ever date this person?
   • Did you become friends?
   • What memories did you have of this person?
2. Did you ever go “Steady” with someone in Jr. High or High School?
   • Who was the person?
   • How old were you?
   • What do you remember about the person?
   • Why did you like the person?
3. Who was your first date?
   • How old were you?
   • Who was the person?
   • How did you meet the person?
   • How did you ask, OR how did they ask you for the date?
   • Where did you go on a date?
   • What did you do?
   • What do you remember about the date?
   • What did you learn about the person from the date?
4. Did your parents ever talk to you about dating?
   • What did they say?
   • Did your family have rules about dating? For example, No dating until 16, Only group dates in High School?
   • What did you think of what your parents said?
5. Do you remember when you had your first kiss?
   • Who was the person?
   • What do you remember?
6. Did you ever go on group dates?
   • Where the group dates with people you knew?
   • What were some of the fun group dates you went on?
7. Did you date during High School?
   • What do you remember about High School dating?
   • What type of activities did you do on dates?
   • What were your favorite activities?
   • What were your most minor favorite activities?
   • Did you or your date pay for the activities?
8. Do you ever remember having a wrong date or experience when dating?
   • To whom and what do you remember?
9. Have you ever been on a blind date?
   • What were the circumstances that led up to the date?
   • Who set up the date?
   • How did you feel about having a blind date?
   • What do you remember about the date?
10. Did you ever have a date with a chaperone?
    • What were the circumstances?
    • What do you remember?
11. Did you ever have a date where you were “stood-up”?
    • What do you remember?
12. Were/were you ever “stood-up”?
13. What would you consider to be your best and worst dates?
    • What do you remember?
14. Did you ever have an embarrassing experience on a date?
    • What do you remember?
15. Who was the first person with whom you became a “coupe” or went steady?
    • What did you like about the person?
    • How long did you date?
    • When did you decide to break off the relationship?
16.  Do you ever remember having what you would consider being a romantic date or relationship?
    • What do you remember?
17. Did you ever attend school dances, proms or other school activities with dates?
    • Did you go with other couples?
    • Did you as singles?
    • How did you get ready for the date?
    • What were you best and worst experience?
18. On dates did you every dance?
    • What was your favorite music to dance to?
    • Did you have a favorite song?
19. What were the favorite social events that you enjoyed going to? For example, church functions, county/state fairs, community celebrations, other?
20. Do you remember the first time you met what would become your future spouse/partner?
    • How did you meet?
    • What was your first date, and what did you do?
    • Talk about how the relationship grew?
    • When did you know that this person was the person you wanted to be with?
    • What were some of the dating experiences you remember?
    • When did you meet the parents? What was that like?
    • How and when did the person propose?
    • Did you say yes right then, or did it take a while? Talk about the experience?
21. What were your favorite activities when dating?
22. What were your most minor favorite activities when dating?
23. Did you ever have a date where you were scared or frightened? Explain.
24. Did you ever date the brother or sister of one of your dates?
    • What do you remember?
25. Can you describe the type of person you liked to date?
    • What personality traits did you like?
    • Tell me about someone who had the traits you were looking for?
    • Tell me about the person?
26. Did you ever meet someone where it was love at first sight?
    • Who was the person, and how did you meet?
    • Tell me about how the relationship grew?
    • What did you like about the person?
27. Who was the person that most surprised you on a date?
    • What do you remember?
28. Did you ever have your heart broken by someone?
    • What do you remember?
    • Were they unfaithful?
    • Did you just outgrow each other?
29. Was there anything else you would like to share about dating?

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Young Adult Friendships (Age 18-25)

Writing Prompts and Questions about Friendship

“Young Adult Friendships (Age 18-25)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Friendship. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. What is your definition of a friend?
2. Who would you consider to be good friends with whom you had lasting relationships?
   • What is the name of each person?
   • Where did you meet them? Work? Church? Organization/club? Neighbor? School? Sports? Other?
   • What drew you to each person?
   • Describe each person?
   • How did the friendship start and evolve?
   • What did you like to do with each friend?
   • How long did the friendship last?
   • If still going, how have you kept the friendship going?
   • What did you like to do with friends?
3. Did all your friends associate together, or were there separate groups?
4. Did you or your friends do service for others?
   • What did you do?
   • How did it make you feel?
5. Where did you just hang out with friends?
   • What did you do?
6. Did you or your friends ever participate in an activity that you were later sorry for?
   • What was the experience?
   • What do you remember?
   • What happened afterward?
7. Was there ever a time when you were frighted or scared with a friend? Explain.
8. Was there ever a time when a person you disliked became your friend? Explain.
9. What there ever a time when your friendship was strained?
   • Explain what happened?
   • Were you able to resolve the situation? If yes, how? If no, why?
10. Was there one friend that was more special than others?
    • What made the relationship special?
    • What made it more special than other friendships?
    • How long did the friendship last?
    • If still going, how have you kept the friendship going?
    • What did you cherish most about the friendship?
    • Was there ever a time when your friend needed you? Explain the need?
    • Were you able to support your friend? How?
    • Did you ever lose touch with this person? Explain.
11. What there ever a time when you needed your friends?
    • Describe the situations?
    • Did your friends support you? How?
    • What did their support mean?
    • Did their support strengthen your friendship?
    • If you did not receive the support, what happened?
    • Did that change your friendship?
12. How did you like to communicate with friends?
    • Letters? Greeting Cards? Postcards? eMail? Facebook? Phone? Other?
13. Did you ever lose a friend?
    • Describe the circumstances?
    • Did you discuss this with the person? If yes, what was the focus of the conversation/communication?
14. Did you ever disappoint a friend?
    • What happened?
    • Did you stay friends? Explain.
    • What did you learn from the experience?
15. Did you ever feel like there was a competition between you and a friend?
    • In what areas?
    • Describe the competition?
    • Was the competition heated or friendly?
16. What qualities were essential to you as a friend?
17. How would your friends describe you?
18. Did you ever reconnect with a friend with whom you lost contact?
    • Explain the situation?
    • What happened after you connected?
19. Did you find it challenging to spend time with friends as you grew older?
    • Did family, work, or other commitments get in the way?
20. Did you ever lose a friend to death?
    • What do you remember?
    • How did it make you feel?
    • Did your parents help you understand the experience? How?

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Adult Friendships (Age 25-65)

Friendship Questions 

“Adult Friendships (Age 25-65)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Friendship. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. What is your definition of a friend?
2. Who would you consider to be good friends with whom you had lasting relationships?
   • What is the name of each person?
   • Where did you meet them? Work? Church? Organization/club? Neighbor? School? Sports? Other?
   • What drew you to each person?
   • Describe each person?
   • How did the friendship start and evolve?
   • What did you like to do with each friend?
   • How long did the friendship last?
   • If still going, how have you kept the friendship going?
   • What did you like to do with friends?
3. Did all your friends associate together, or were there separate groups?
4. Did you or your friends do service for others?
   • What did you do?
   • How did it make you feel?
5. Where did you just hang out with friends?
   • What did you do?
6. Did you or your friends ever participate in an activity that you were later sorry for?
   • What was the experience?
   • What do you remember?
   • What happened afterward?
7. Was there ever a time when you were frighted or scared with a friend? Explain.
8. Was there ever a time when a person you disliked became your friend? Explain.
9. What there ever a time when your friendship was strained?
   • Explain what happened?
   • Were you able to resolve the situation? If yes, how? If no, why?
10. Was there one friend that was more special than others?
    • What made the relationship special?
    • What made it more special than other friendships?
    • How long did the friendship last?
    • If still going, how have you kept the friendship going?
    • What did you cherish most about the friendship?
    • Was there ever a time when your friend really needed you? Explain the need?
    • Were you able to support your friend? How?
    • Did you ever lose touch with this person? Explain.
11. What there ever a time when you really needed your friends?
    • Describe the situations?
    • Did your friends support you? How?
    • What did their support mean?
    • Did their support strengthen your friendship?
    • If you did not receive the support, what happened?
    • Did that change your friendship?
12. How did you like to communicate with friends?
    • Letters? Greeting Cards? Postcards? eMail? Facebook? Phone? Other?
    13. Did you ever lose a friend?
    • Describe the circumstances?
    • Did you discuss this with the person? If yes, what was the focus of the conversation/communication?
13. Did you ever disappoint a friend?
    • What happened?
    • Did you stay friends? Explain.
    • What did you learn from the experience?
14. Did you ever feel like there was a competition between you and a friend?
    • In what areas?
    • Describe the competition?
    • Was the competition heated or friendly?
15. What qualities were essential to you as a friend?
16. How would your friends describe you?
17. Did you ever reconnect with a friend with whom you lost contact?
    • Explain the situation?
    • What happened after you connected?
18. Did you find it challenging to spend time with friends as you grew older?
    • Did family, work, or other commitments get in the way?
19. Did you ever lose a friend to death?
    • What do you remember?
    • How did it make you feel?
    • Did your parents help you understand the experience? How?

Click Here to return to the writing prompts and questions about friendship categories.

Senior Adult Friendships (Age 65+)

Writing Prompts and Questions about Friendship

“Senior Adult Friendships (Age 65+)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Friendship. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. What is your definition of a friend?
2. Who would you consider to be good friends with whom you had lasting relationships?
   • What is the name of each person?
   • Where did you meet them? Work? Church? Organization/club? Neighbor? School? Sports? Other?
   • What drew you to each person?
   • Describe each person?
   • How did the friendship start and evolve?
   • What did you like to do with each friend?
   • How long did the friendship last?
   • If still going, how have you kept the friendship going?
   • What did you like to do with friends?
3. Did all your friends associate together, or were there separate groups?
4. Did you or your friends do service for others?
   • What did you do?
   • How did it make you feel?
5. Where did you just hang out with friends?
   • What did you do?
6. Did you or your friends ever participate in an activity that you were later sorry for?
   • What was the experience?
   • What do you remember?
   • What happened afterward?
7. Was there ever a time when you were frighted or scared with a friend? Explain.
8. Was there ever a time when a person you disliked became your friend? Explain.
9. What there ever a time when your friendship was strained?
   • Explain what happened?
   • Were you able to resolve the situation? If yes, how? If no, why?
10. Was there one friend that was more special than others?
    • What made the relationship special?
    • What made it more special than other friendships?
    • How long did the friendship last?
    • If still going, how have you kept the friendship going?
    • What did you cherish most about the friendship?
    • Was there ever a time when your friend needed you? Explain the need?
    • Were you able to support your friend? How?
    • Did you ever lose touch with this person? Explain.
11. What there ever a time when you needed your friends?
    • Describe the situations?
    • Did your friends support you? How?
    • What did their support mean?
    • Did their support strengthen your friendship?
    • If you did not receive the support, what happened?
    • Did that change your friendship?
12. How did you like to communicate with friends?
    • Letters? Greeting Cards? Postcards? eMail? Facebook? Phone? Other?
13. Did you ever lose a friend?
    • Describe the circumstances?
    • Did you discuss this with the person? If yes, what was the focus of the conversation/communication?
14. Did you ever disappoint a friend?
    • What happened?
    • Did you stay friends? Explain.
    • What did you learn from the experience?
15. Did you ever feel like there was a competition between you and a friend?
    • In what areas?
    • Describe the competition?
    • Was the competition heated or friendly?
16. What qualities were essential to you as a friend?
17. How would your friends describe you?
18. Did you ever reconnect with a friend with whom you lost contact?
    • Explain the situation?
    • What happened after you connected?
19. Did you find it challenging to spend time with friends as you grew older?
    • Did family, work, or other commitments get in the way?
20. Did you ever lose a friend to death?
    • What do you remember?
    • How did it make you feel?
    • Did your parents help you understand the experience? How?

Click Here to return to the writing prompts and questions about friendship categories.