An extract from the recently published book “Penning Your Past” by Angela Robertson
What will I write about? It’s a question as daunting as it is exhilarating. This is an open invitation to explore the vast landscape of ideas, stories, and truths about your own life experiences, or that of a family member or ancestor, that demands to be told. It isn’t just about choosing a topic for your non-fiction story; it’s about uncovering the passions, curiosities, and perspectives that make your voice uniquely worth sharing.
Before deciding on a topic, it’s important to think about the distinction between memoir and autobiography, while also outlining the scope of your project to ensure it stays focused and appeals to your intended audience.
A memoir is the story of a specific slice of your life – this may be an important experience, a pivotal moment, or a specific theme. You as the writer will document your experience as you remember it. With a memoir you are not writing your whole life story in chronological order from the day you were born to wherever you are now. This is an autobiography, which is a much bigger project and may never be finished.
Alternatively, you might consider writing a collection of personal stories, short vignettes or reflective essays, or poems that capture meaningful moments and experiences from your life.
Capturing life stories, whether they are collections of memories, a memoir, a career or business story, travel adventures, stories of love or loss, family histories, spiritual journeys, favourite hobbies, poetry, favourite family recipes passed down through the generations, collections of letters, or whatever, helps to create meaning in our lives. Clearly the choice of topic is over to you.
To help get you started, let’s consider a couple of topics with more detail.
- Early life – stories from your childhood.
Our childhood experiences took place in quite a different world to the one we are living in today. Writing about our childhood experience is a powerful way to reconnect with our younger selves, process past experiences, and share meaningful stories with others. It allows us to relive joyful moments, overcome some of the challenges we may have faced, appreciate the people, circumstances and events that shaped our lives and on reflection, the lessons learned. For this project include the details of your birth – when and where you were born. Were you an only child? If you had siblings, where do you fall in the family. Write about your sisters and brothers – what was the relationship between the siblings? If you have no siblings, what was it like growing up as an only child. Detail the experiences of your childhood. Here are a few prompts to help you begin.
- Where did you live?
- Did you have your own bedroom? What was it like?
- Did you have chores to do?
- Was it a home where children were seen and not heard?
- Were you raised in the city or a rural area?
- Where did you go to school? What was it like?
- Do you recall any teachers that made a lasting impact on your life?
- Who was your best friend?
Documenting your childhood memories is a purposeful process. I also appreciate that not everyone had a happy childhood. If this was your personal experience, writing about the challenges you encountered and how you overcame them, could be a cathartic process. Sharing these stories, without blame, can also help others who have had similar experiences.
- Teenage years – think rites of passage
Teenage years are often a period of self-discovery, growth, adventure and change. They’re filled with firsts, for example, first love, first heartbreak, first job, first major accomplishment, and our first taste of independence. These firsts are all influenced by the cultural and social landscape of the time. Writing about these experiences, and the people and emotions associated with them, allows you to reflect on how they shaped your identity. Whether you’re writing for personal reflection, or storytelling with family and friends, capturing this period of your life helps you to:
- Reflect on personal growth.
- Share relatable experiences – good/bad haircuts, what you wore, favourite music, things you thought were cool, learning to stand on your own two feet, lessons learned.
- Connect with your children and grandchildren, providing them with insights into a time they never knew.
- Preserve personal and family history.
- Provide future generations with a vivid snapshot of your life and the era you lived in.
We’ve considered a few examples; the list of topics is infinite. If you are finding it hard to choose, consider which one excites you the most. If you are still struggling to decide, imagine you have just one year left to live. What is the story you feel the need to tell now?
Remember, your story matters and you get to choose which details you’ll reveal in your narrative and what will remain a mystery.
I hope these suggestions have inspired you to give it a go. Go well and embrace the experience with an open heart.
Penning Your Past is available on Amazon (Kindle & Paperback).
