Write your story
Step 1 · Pick a prompt
Pick one prompt. A prompt names a kind of memory, not a single answer. Your story will be nothing like your neighbor's, and that is the point. Write the core two paragraphs, not the whole essay.
Step 2 · Plan it
Plan first. Answer the seven story questions in short notes. Notes are allowed to be ugly.
Step 3 · Pick one goal
One goal, chosen before you write, beats ten wishes after. Pick exactly one. Scope it to the core two paragraphs of your story, not the whole thing.
After you write, look for the proof in your own sentences.
Step 4 · Write your story
Beginning, middle, and end. Spend your tools: specific nouns, strong verbs, show do not tell, and let your characters talk.
Step 5 · Sum it up
One more thing, once you have written. One sentence: what is your piece about, and what should the reader walk away with? If your draft and your sentence disagree, believe the sentence. It knows what you meant to write.
Step 6 · Before you turn it in
Read your story once, out loud if you can. Then check.