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Doc
Keeper of the Scrolls
2010 Posts
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 Posted -
02/04/2004
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21:46
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Recalling your past can be therapeutic and reveal memorable moments of life.
The pastime of writing memoirs has recently become very popular and people are discovering that it is no longer the sole domain of famous people. The success of Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt's memoirs, and Any Given Day: The Life and Times of Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux, indicates that the lives of ordinary people can be interesting and bring financial success.
Even though most memoirs will not make their authors famous, there are many reasons people decide to write. Some simply want to be remembered. Others want to express their own version of events. Still others, after years of caring for a spouse and children, feel the need to do something for themselves. Many people just love to write.
Whatever the reason, people of all ages and backgrounds have started to put their recollections on paper, providing a valuable form of self-discovery and exploration. Older adults and retirees may find that, without the responsibility of a full-time job, they have the time and creative energy to devote to re-visiting their past.
Looking back can be pleasurable. It can help reconnect you to people with whom you have lost touch. Your family and friends may think of your written memories as a treasured gift and legacy from you.
Recalling the past, how you grew up and what you experienced, can also be therapeutic by helping to confront painful recollections or complete the grieving process. Digging up long-buried memories is similar to cleaning your house and getting rid of things you don't need anymore.
A memoir differs from an autobiography, which is a factual telling of an entire life. A memoir, on the other hand, is more of an impression of an event in life. Memoirs speak from the heart and don't require a great deal of research. They are the author's recollection and perception of memorable incidents or relationships.
How to Get Started
Check your favorite bookstore and the internet for books and web sites devoted to memoir writing.
Take a class or a workshop.
Look at old photos or magazines to recall how things looked, tasted and smelled.
Think about a specific incident, such as a first date, to help memories return.
Read old letters or newspaper stories to trigger memories.
Brainstorm and jot down important events and relationships that you might want to write about, focusing on who and what has made you the person you are.
Tips on Writing
To make your memoirs interesting for others to read, follow these guidelines:
Write about family life, relationships, your accomplishments, and other interesting or unique experiences.
Use the five senses in your descriptions, so the reader can see, hear, smell, taste and touch the scene.
Use dialogue and describe your characters' personalities, appearance and actions.
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Flutterby
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Posted - 09/12/2006 : 00:55
Thanks !i hope to do this as i have alot of funny stories i would like to tell and have bought a dictation machine to use and am taken right back to being little when describing what visual memories i go back and see again in my mind1
Kmp |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 09/12/2006 : 06:12
Well worth doing but transcribe as you go along otherwise nobody will ever listen to them.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
melteaser
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Posted - 09/12/2006 : 08:44
I took my Mum to an open evening last night at the school she went to as small child. The school is moving into new premises and the future of the original building is yet to be decided. They had some forms there for people to write down their memories, the school is hoping to publish a book at some point. Mum really enjoyed it. We bumped into her bridesmaid who she hasn't seen for 30odd years. In the end there were about a dozen people of Mums era all rabbiting on about what they remember. An evening tinged with sadness for her though.
Mel
http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk |
Flutterby
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Posted - 09/12/2006 : 09:28
Thanks for the advice Stanley1 I have started to write down in a jotter first then read what i have written on to the tape .Is that what you mean? |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 09/12/2006 : 17:37
That's a good idea but what I meant was to listen to the tape afterwards and type it all out, otherwise nobody will play the tapes.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Flutterby
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Posted - 10/12/2006 : 13:23
I read somewhere that Angela,s ashes was not really true and that a lot of fiction was added? The film is depressing. I have recently read about the Doctor from Earby and written by Blake Morrison also read about his Mum too. Loved these! Saw the comedy in Skipton he did which was brilliant at the Automart! I love Comedy!Particularly northern stuff , Dickens and Shakespeareadaptations which are comedy based. I look forward to the new film which is being made about Dr Morrison asJim Broadbent is portraying him and Blake" with Colin Firth I would do his washing anyday"The broken biscuit about the Burnley Family would make a good film dont you think? |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 11/12/2006 : 06:30
Be careful about the books Blake Morrison wrote about his mother and father. Kim, his mother, was very upset by 'When did you last see your father'. She said it wasn't the Arthur she knew. I doubt if she'd have appreciated him reworking her private correspondence either. The most accurate oral evidence is the sort you can see in the LTP. Straight from the horse's mouth.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
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Writing Your Memoirs
