The biggest hurdle in sitting down to write a memoir can be simply getting started. That's where prompts like these come into their own: the writer doesn't have to think about writing an entertaining memoir (well, not just yet, anyway!) The important thing is to get those ideas flowing.
Visualise Life Stories Through Photos
Spend a nostalgic afternoon browsing through old photos. Keep a pen and a pad of sticky notes handy. Jot down any memories associated with special photos: the people in it, the place, emotions and special events. Put the sticky note on the back of the photo. This will be really useful once the writer starts work.
Read Through a Diary or Journal to Get Ideas for Memoirs
Writers who have kept journals find that they are great reminders of how they felt about events at the time. They're also useful to jog the writer's memory about friends and workmates from the time; places visited, and the pain of growing up.
Pay a Visit to Family in Other Towns
Not only is it rewarding to catch up with family members after a long absence, it's amazing how much material can come out of a visit like this. Once other people in the family realise that the writer is in search of material for a memoir (either general information, or background for a certain period in a life) they can be a wonderful source of information and additional stories. It's also likely that they know others who can help with further anecdotes. Older people – grandparents, great-aunts, senior citizens who lived near the family – often have interesting stories to tell about the writer's formative years.
Go to a School Reunion or Centenary Celebration
If there's a chance to go to a class reunion or school centenary (or bicentenary) celebration, jump on it. Old schoolteachers can have some tales to tell – not only about the writer, but about classmates and others in the community.
Pick a Theme and Speed-Write Notes
Most writers tend to sit down and write a memoir in chronological order – but by doing this, some fascinating moments can be totally forgotten or passed over. It may be easier to write a memoir in 'chunks', hopping back and forth in time, as the mood takes you. A fun way to do this is to pick a theme (favourite foods at different stages of life; memorable restaurants or stage shows; family outings; favourite outfit at different ages) and speed-write about anything associated with that theme.
Rank Events in Order of Importance
If the ideas just won't come, try writing down the most memorable or influential event in a lifetime (or certain period). Then write down the second most memorable. Then the third...
Of course, it isn't always possible to rank events in order of importance once you get past the first half-dozen or so. The important thing is to get them down. Later, it will be easy to shuffle them around and expand on those that really count for your completed memoirs.
CVs Can Prompt Memories for Memoirs
A resume is not just useful for finding a job: it can remind writers of people, places and significant milestones throughout their lives. Generally, people spend a large portion of their waking hours outside the home, in the 9-5 working world. Browse through that CV and see what memories it evokes.
Use any or all of the above ideas to get a running start on writing a memoir. One memory generally triggers another, and before too long the pages mount up. The 'getting started' obstacle has just been overcome!
Marg McAlister - Marg McAlister has tried on a good many writer's hats in her career, and has enjoyed wearing most of them. Her writing achievements ...
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