Do your friends keep telling you that your life would make a great book? If you've heard it more than once, chances are, you've got something there. But how do you go from living a great story to writing it? We've got you covered with our top tips for writing your life story.
1. Sit down and start with the facts. Sounds obvious, right? But unless you've kept a diary, it's hard to recall every piece of your life. The first step is to get as many facts of your life on to the page as possible. Don't worry about storytelling at this stage--this is just about recalling the who, what, when, and where of your life. Type, hand-write, or get out a tape recorder and imagine you're talking with someone who's never heard your story before. You may not finish in one sitting, but the process will jog your memory and help you remember. It doesn't matter whether you remember everything in chronological order, either: you'll organize the story later (see tip #5). An inexpensive guided writing program like DIYBook can provide life story writing prompts tailored specifically to this type of writing.
2. Turn to memory triggers if you're having a hard time recalling the details of your life. Photo albums, letters, even report cards can help recall memories from time gone by. Listening to music that reminds you of specific moments in your life helps, too.
3. Be honest about what you remember and what you don't. If you cannot remember a moment in your life, it doesn't belong in your book. Don't make it up, just don't include it.
4. Keep a journal with you at all times. If you remember something, write it down as soon as it comes to mind. Don't wait until you get home or in front of a computer--trust us, you'll forget! These kinds of memories can be fleeting, so it's best to capture them on paper as they arrive.
5. Once you have all your material, it's time to organize your life. If you recorded yourself speaking, now's the time to get the audio transcribed. Create separate folders (either physical or digital) for each period of your life and fill them with the relevant material you've generated. This way, when you go to actually write your memoir, you're not hunting through dozens of files to find that section on your first date or the day your child was born--it's already in the correct place.
6. If this seems too overwhelming, ask for help. The team at In Ink is excellent at organizing, coaching, and ghostwriting memoirs. Drop us a line today at writing@ininkghostwriting.com
Image credit: Hendrick ter Brugghen, Man Writing by Candlelight, ca. 1627–29, oil on canvas, 65.7 x 52.7 cm. Northampton, Mass., Smith College Museum of Art, inv. SC1957:10 (artwork in the public domain)
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