The holidays are a perfect time to make memories and to use those memories in your writing. Get a package of loose-leaf paper and a folder or binder. Use one paper for each entry. Perhaps the first entry can be about your most recent Thanksgiving Day. Did you spend the day with family/friends?
Did you visit someone else or host the dinner yourself?
Across the top of the first sheet, write the date and label the event. Next write no more than three sentences describing what the event was about. After that list up-to five things that stand out about your event (ie: food, company, discussion). Finally choose one word to describe your general emotion about the day.
Not all events need to be happening in the present. You can make a sheet for any event or memory that you want to, however try to remember the perspective from who were at the actual time (ie: a young child might be very afraid of dark closets whereas you, an adult, may have gotten over that fear). Your memories do not need to be monumental. When you have a stack of papers in the folder you should look through everything and plan what you are going to do with this collection of memories.
Your options include writing short stories or complete novels based on specific events. You might also decide not to publish anything, but just want to record your memories and leave a legacy for future generations. Another option is writing your memoir. If you choose to write your memoir, go through your memory sheets and find a common thread that links several of your memories together – leave the memories that are not linked in your folder for another time.
A memoir differs from an autobiography. They are both factual (at least as far as your perspective) and written in first person by the author. A memoir limits content to a specific theme or time period; whereas an autobiography is broader in content and time.
One example of a memoir might be about “Leonard Cohen”, written by Leonard and might be about his experiences with teenage awkwardness and angst. He could begin his memoir with the day of his Bar Mitzvah when he utters the words “Today I am a man”. Leonard’s memoir would include “awkward” moments of his teen years like asking a girl out for a date, looking for an after school job, getting picked on at school, etc. All of the events in Leonard’s memoir are centered on the theme of teen-age awkwardness and angst.
Sometimes a tell-all type of story might embarrass or anger someone. While you are in your writing stage, don’t even think about it. Just WRITE – no guilt, no worrying, no shame. After you’ve finished writing your memoir, before you begin sending it to agents or publishers, then it is time to forewarn or even show part of your book to those (close to you) who are mentioned. Sometimes you are worried when there is no reason to be. Sometimes you will need to “negotiate” exactly how much of your “facts’ need to go.
Writing exercise: Can you think of your MOST embarrassing moment. Write a BRIEF paragraph in first person describing the incident. Be sure to include how YOU felt THEN. What, of everything, really stands out about that event? Do the same for the HAPPIEST time, the SADDEST time and the most PROUD time.
Writing prompt: List ten things you would buy with your last 50 dollars (the accumulated total cannot be more than 50-dollars).
