Transcript How to Write Your Life Story
Brainstorm a List
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Include any possible events, people, and things that might appear in your memoir.
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My second home: Kim’s house
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Black Butte Ranch
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Horses
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Cereal
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Animals: Bandit’s 9 lives, Finding Hobbes, Misadventure with Magic, Pepper in the Fire
Write About Your Name
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This simple technique can help you unearth lots of great material for your life story. Ask yourself:
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Who were you named after? Is there a story connected to that?
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What nicknames have you had?
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Were you ever teased about your name?
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Do people often misspell or mispronounce it?
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How do you feel about your name?
Sketch a Map of your Neighborhood
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Close your eyes and try hard to imagine all the details of your neighborhood.
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The more your sketch, the more details you add, the more you’ll remember.
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Pick a place you know super well—a neighborhood you lived for several years, a relative’s house or apartment you often visited, a vacation home, or a summer camp you return to every year.
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Don’t try to make it look professional, just detailed.
Ralph Fletcher’s Map
Sketch a Map of your Neighborhood
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As you make your map, label to mark:
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Where something happened (you lost a tooth, found a pocket knife, , or buried a beloved pet) A “power spot” (where all the neighborhood kids gathered) A “danger spot” (a place you had to avoid) A favorite place A secret place
Make a “Heart Map”
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Similar to a map of your neighborhood, but with a twist—it’s an emotional map of what matters to you.
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Things near and dear to your heart (family, friends, hobbies, interests) Some things included on a “heart map” can be serious, while others can be more playful.
Example “Heart Map”
Still need some topic ideas?
Gather Artifacts
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At home tonight, get a box to gather things that have been important to you.
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Examples: a beloved stuffed animal or doll, your first baseball glove, a scrap from your baby blanket, an old photograph of you, Girl or Boy Scout badges, old journals or trading cards
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Hold the object, close your eyes, and see what rises into your memory.
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Where did you get it? Who gave it to you? Did it ever get lost? How did (does) it make you feel?
Collect Family Stories
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In your family, are there certain stories that get told again and again at holidays, weddings, reunions?
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Jot down a list of those stories, especially if one of them happens to involve you. If you can’t remember it in all it’s detail, ask a relative later tonight. Ask lots of questions!