7 tips on How to Effectively Create a Personal and Family Story

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Each personal story and family memoir is unique and inimitable. We all have something to tell. Depicting how we see ourselves and people who surround us on our life path is an exciting process. It might be quite an emotional journey but it is definitely worth embarking on. Here are some tips that may help you make the writing of your history easy and enjoyable.

Realize that you are the author

If you have ever had an idea of writing a personal story or a family memoir but you doubted whether it is worth doing it, try to realize that, perhaps, you are the only one who can tell that story. Possibly, if you don’t go for it, it may never be told and your children will never know what shaped your life and what your family has been through. Your perspective is unique and even the bestselling writer cannot do it better than you since you are the one who was there and who knows all the details.

Create a time line

Start brainstorming by writing down the major life events that happened each year. Leave some space between each entry so that you could add some old memories that surface while you recollect the big turning points starting from your birth. Indicate names and places together with some emotions that you felt at the time. If you unsure what you feel about a certain life event, leave that part and move further since you can come back and fill the space anytime later when you eventually define your feelings.

Use little everyday details to show person’s character

When you share a memory, try to add relevant details. A general statement is great but including the evidence that supports your view will make the picture more vivid. Describing tiny details can tell a lot about the discussed person and will help reveal what you truly feel towards him or her.

Create a list of stories

Each family has a list of stories to share. They do not have to be in a chronological order so just recollect shared anecdotes, funny coincidences and even narrowly avoided disasters. If in your memory you find the situation when you start telling a story and someone says that you have already shared it, this is a good sign. It means that what happened in your story is important to you and that it appeared to be memorable to another person as well. Therefore, the story is worth to be added to your list.

Get help from the memory triggers

Even if you know what to write about, for the more effective story, try using memory triggers. Looking through photo albums and visiting a place where you once lived or studied can immensely help different memories surface. You may listen to the music you loved in some point of your life or try on some stored clothing that you once liked. Keep your notebook with you all the time and jot down all those precious unforgettable memories that will be used to create a remarkable personal story.

Let your emotions “ripen”

There is no need to expect that you will instantly come up with a perfect variation of personal or family story. First of all, give yourself some time for the memories to the surface. Second, write them down randomly or in the order that you are comfortable with and put your notes aside for a few days. Give yourself some time, let your emotions mature so that you really figure out what you feel towards a particular person or event.

Get a well-rounded picture by consulting others

Every one of us has a unique personal life experience and each event is perceived differently by different people. Talk to your close ones about memories that you included in your list already. You might get surprised how someone else’s vision of what had happened can differ from what you recollect. Perhaps, you remember your grandmother as a kind and generous person while all that your cousin can recall is that the grandma was very strict and forced your sister to eat oatmeal each morning.

Recording a personal and family story is an interesting but challenging process. It might be emotionally difficult at times but it will give you a great perspective on where you are in your life today. The retrospection may help you review how you perceive some of the past events and you might see people who surround you in a new light.

No matter what, your unique view of your life and the life of your family will give a great insight to your progeny and will be perceived as a precious gift for the generations to come.