She then goes on to show you how. Not with fancy words, out-of-touch theories, and dreary writing exercises; but with down-to-earth, practical, anyone-can-do it guidelines and examples. She debunks every myth you’ve ever heard about writing your life story and walks you through the storytelling process simply, clearly, efficiently, and effectively.
Fear of writing is swept away by her calm assurance that you are preparing a gift for your children, grandchildren, and friends. No need to concentrate on whether the story of your life will be an international best seller. Instead, think of the stories of your life that were fun or interesting for you and that helped form who you are.
She divides thinking about your stories into nine easy-to-read sections: Beginnings and Childhood, Adolescence, Early Adult Years, Marriage, Being a Parent, Middle Adult Years, Being a Grandparent, Later Adult Years, Reflections. Each section begins with a few brief paragraphs on what happened in her life during that period, with plenty of quotes from her family members to reveal she is an ordinary person, just like you. The kicker, though, is what comes next: after the brief paragraphs, she lists a series of questions and thought starters to get your remembrance juices going. There are more than 400 questions throughout the book. Here are some of them:
Where did you live during your childhood and who lived with you?
I highly recommend this book in my monthly classes on writing memoirs. You can get a copy from any bookstore, online, or at your local library.
Linda Spence writes and collects legacy stories in Mill Valley, California, where she lives and works as a consultant.
Cover image courtesy Shallow Press/Ohio University Press.