Over the years, I’ve taken every class I could find on life story writing—and was disappointed in nearly all of them. Most promote a chronological storyline, starting with “I was born…,” and by the end of the class, most people hadn’t gotten beyond the kindergarten years. They left overwhelmed by the enormity of the project and never wrote more than the few pages completed in class.
In response, I took a cue from my museum work where the amount of information to convey is vast, but space is limited. It’s often necessary to tell a whole story in 150 words or less! Exhibit label writers are adept at finding the “gems”—the memorable bits that will inform and entertain visitors.
Writing stories from your life is like storytelling
I developed a writing process where you write stories from your life instead of writing your whole life story. Life story implies a chronological retelling of your life from birth to now, but writing stories from your life is more like telling stories at the kitchen table.
My process of "Writing Your Life in Small Bites" makes it fun and easy to share your stories. By writing short, memorable stories from your life, a picture of you will begin to emerge. Before you know it, you’ll have a stack of stories to share with friends and family.
Writing Your Life in Small Bites means:
· You write in “small bites,” breaking your life down into one- or two-page stories.
· You write stories from your life—just giving the highlights; things that are memorable or significant.
• First times
• Memorable people
• Turning points
· It’s relaxed and informal, like storytelling.
· You write in your own voice – the way you talk.
· You use everything from old letters, diaries, photographs, maps, lists and recipes in your stories.
· You keep your audience in mind—your aim is to inform and entertain! Keep your stories relevant and readable.
· You never worry about grammar, spelling and punctuation – you can always use spell check and grammar check on the computer. Your family would rather have something from you than nothing at all. Even if it’s not perfect!
Your stories are valuable
