I recently mentioned to my niece that she should write down the stories from her childhood and her life so her
Family Memories; image: sxc.hu
children and grandchildren will know her and their ancestors better. She had just related to me memories of her grandmother and the two years she lived with her grandparents.
This also brought to mind my daughter’s comment: “Mom, you research our relatives and ancestors’ stories. It’s time you wrote down your memories for me and the grandchildren.”
What should she write down, she wondered. There were so many incidents that came to mind.
What are the different methods of organizing your writing or deciding what you should write?
You don’t have to follow a chronological pattern, as many people think you must. Once you begin brainstorming, the list of story ideas and memories become endless.
- Write down those that come to mind. You can organize them later. If they come to mind, they must be important to you.
- Think of the seasons. Then write the stories that relate to each one.
- Take different age eras of your life. Write what happened in that year.
- Did you live in different locations. Write about each.
- If you have children, do journals for each.
- Take specific events in your life…birthdays, graduations, wedding, anniversaries.
- Think of trips you’ve taken and write about those.
- Life’s lessons…what did you learn about disappointments and happiness.
- What do you want your life to mean? What legacy do you hope to leave?
Don’t worry about writing or taping in a finished form. Simply get your thoughts and memories down. You can reorganize later. You can add to a scrapbook, incorporate photos and sketches, brochures, etc.
Some books I’ve found helpful as springboards for memory writing. I also mention them in the Family Story Writing classes I teach:
- The Writer in All of Us (Improving Your Writing Through Childhood Memories) by June Gould
- How I Came to Be a Writerby Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
- Writing Your Life(Putting Your Past on Paper) by Lou Willett Stanek
- The Power of Memories(How to Use Them to Improve Your Health and Well-Being) by Frank Minirth
- The Biographer’s Craftby Milton Lomask
- To Our Children’s Children(Preserving Family Memories for Generations to Come) by Bob Greene & D. G. Fulford
(c)2010 Mary Emma Allen
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