Writing your life story is one of the greatest gifts you can give your family. In writing it you will find yourself drawing even closer to your children and grandchildren. You will also find it an exciting and fascinating process, one that helps you to make sense of your own life.
Writing your own life story is also a very good way for creative writers to find inspiration and get started in the 'habit' of writing. This step-by-step guide will steer you through different ways of telling your life story, in ten easy steps:
- How to begin
- Using the power of memory
- How to start your research
- Different ways of structuring your life story
- How to make your life story stand out with pictures, colours and smells, etc.
- How to provide a contemporary feel to your life story
- Bringing the rest of the world into your story
- How to end your life story, and make sure that it doesn’t it doesn’t hurt anyone (including yourself)
- How to present your life story and get it published
- Stories to inspire you
Nowadays, you can publish your life story should you want to do so. For a small amount of money, you can get a few bound copies or you can publish it free on the net. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to write an heirloom which will last for ever.
Contents:
Introduction
STEP 1. HOW TO BEGIN
1. Who do you think you are?
- Introducing yourself to your future readership
- What exactly should you say?
- Why you are writing this
- Summary
STEP 2. USING THE POWER OF MEMORY
2. Do you remember when?
- Using memories to write your life story
- Your first memory
- Triggers to help release early memories
- Triggers for later memories
- How to use your memories in your life story
- Summary
STEP 3. HOW TO START YOUR RESEARCH
3. Researching the spoken word
- Talking to living relatives
- What to put in - and what leave out
- If your parents have died...
- How to find relatives and friends to talk to
- Summary
4. Researching written records
- Tracing your ancestors
- Not forgetting these written sources...
- How to use this material
- Summary
STEP 4. DIFFERENT WAYS OF STRUCTURING YOUR LIFE STORY
5. How to structure your life story
- Using the simple chronological approach
- How to start
- The early years
- Getting bigger
- The teenage years
- Young adult
- Middle years
- Later years
- Conclusion of your life story
- Summary
6. How to structure your life story by using specific timespans
- Advantages of this method
- Disadvantages of this method
- I'll never forget the day/week/month/year/when...
- Summary
7. Where were you when...?
- The Death of Diana, Princess of Wales, 1997
- 9/11
- The Queen's Coronation 1953
- 7/7
- Summary
8. Desert Island Discs method
- How to start...
- Piece of music
- Advantages of the Desert Island Discs format
- Disadvantages of the Desert Island Discs format
- Summary
9. You've got a first!
- How to start
- My first...
- Summary
10. Places I have lived in...
- Guidelines
- Case studies
- Summary
11. Quirky ways of telling your life story that you might not have thought about
- Recording on tape
- Telling your life story in the third person
- Summary
STEP 5. HOW TO MAKE YOUR LIFE STORY STAND OUT WITH PICTURES, COLOURS AND SMELLS, ETC.
12. Pictures
- Using pictures to add interest
- Summary
13. Noises, smells, colours
- Bringing the senses alive
- How to use this
- Summary
STEP 6. HOW TO PROVIDE A CONTEMPORARY FEEL TO YOUR LIFE STORY
14. Fads, gadgets and innovations
- Fads
- Gadgets and innovations
- Traditions
- What we didn't have - and how we managed without!
- Summary
15. Making a song and dance!
- How to use them
- Dance/theatre
- Television programmes
- My favourite book was...
- Summary
16. How much did that cost?
- Old and new money
STEP 7. BRINGING THE REST OF THE WORLD INTO YOUR LIFE STORY
17. Writing a timeline
- How to start
- How to find out the answers
- Summary
STEP 8. HOW TO END YOUR LIFE STORY - AND MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T HURT ANYONE (INCLUDING YOURSELF)
18. How to end your story when you're still alive!
- A summing-up
- A profile
- A spiritual summing-up
- Lessons in life
- Sayings
- Poems
- Message for future generations
- My hopes for the future
- It's your funeral!
- Good advice
19. Ouch! The importance of thinking about other people's feelings
20. Writing a life story for someone else
- How to go about it
- Writing a life story as a commission
- Cost
- Summary
STEP 9. HOW TO PRESENT YOUR LIFE STORY AND GET IT PUBLISHED
21. Presentation and getting it printed
- Presentation
- Bound copies
- Is my life story good enough to be sold in a bookshop?
- How to contact an agent and/or publisher
- Self-publishing Magazines
22. Problems and solutions when writing your life story
STEP 10. STILL STUCK? TRIED AND TESTED REMEDIES
23. Writer's block
- Still stuck? More tips to help you write your life story
- Stories to inspire you
- Useful contacts
Reviews:
'What a splendid guide to writing the story of your life!' - Colin Dexter
