Pull yourself together!
A handy guide for gathering information to write your memoir.
No matter the state of your memorabilia, no matter the state of your memories, A Story to Tell can help you gather, organise and prioritise your life’s work into a memoir. Whether you’re doing it for yourself or helping someone else, it’s a big job. Here’s how to start.
1. Gather
The physical sorting, collecting, collating, probably won’t get done in one day, so take your time and enjoy the ride. In this process, you’re looking for items that reflect you, things that jog your memory that you can write down then and there or later. It doesn’t matter. The items might include articles, birthday presents, awards, letters, trinkets, invitations, jottings – anything that jogs your memory and brings your story to life.
Hint: Look for them everywhere, not just inside your home.
2. Collate
You want your biography to reflect exactly who you are so go through your gathered memorabilia to see what’s there. Can you group the items in themes (pass-times, travel, health, lessons learnt, etc.) or eras (by decade, children, events, etc.) or by what was going on in the broader world at the time? Perhaps by significant shifts in your ideas about the world? Or what was happening in your garden?
Hint: Any linking of materials and ideas that feel relevant to you can start to organise your thoughts.
3. Ponder
Enjoy pondering (and writing or recording your voice) over these groupings. You can jot notes, write in full sentences and/or tell whole stories. However it comes, just get it down. Keep telling your story.
Hint: Do it at an intensity that makes you want to do it again tomorrow.
4. Organise
With these jottings, sentences and stories down, you start to wonder what to do with it all! If it feels overwhelming, contact us to help you organise it over the phone. Often just a couple of questions answered can get you on your way. We can also write your memoir for you from your notes, memorabilia and further conversations with you and/or your family and friends.
It’s time to start … now!
May your words pour onto the page,
