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As a follow up to the post, STRUGGLING to Write Your Story? Here’s How to START Writing a Memoir Today let me challenge you to start writing today. Set a one-minute timer and write a bullet-point description of five vivid memories from your life. Don’t limit yourself to your childhood or any other specific time frame.
Here’s my quick list:
ET nightmare on Fairpoint Drive
Moving to a new school in eighth grade
Receiving a nearly full-ride scholarship to Blinn College as an oboe player
The real story about the night I met Andy on my front doorstep
Overcoming fear at the World Champion Wife Carrying Competition
I had the memories in less than a minute, but my poor typing skills took me 2 minutes to type and spell things correctly. So, maybe you’ll want to voice-text someone in your texting app or use pen and paper for this initial exercise. Regardless, capture five quick memories.
Next, pick one to write about.
Which one is the easiest to start with?
For me, it could be the wife-carrying competition because the memory is so fresh. However, it could be more challenging because there is so much to tell, and there is the emotion of fear involved. Perhaps I need to start with something sooner.
Perhaps I need to explain why I still remember an evil ET coming to my home when I lived in the rental home on Fairpoint Drive. While there is still some fear there, I’m nearly 50 so it’s not as difficult to write about.
Whatever you decide, pick one and write about that. Then, move on to the next item on your list. If you think of other memories you want to write about, tack them on to the end of the list, but cover the first five before moving on to another.
Will You Accept The Personal History Writing Challenge?
I hope you’ll start writing today. If you are willing to accept my challenge, please share your list of five things (not the story, just the five things).
I often find so much value in seeing other people’s lists. I will either want to encourage them to write the story so I can read it. Or, their list will remind me of something similar in my own life to write about.
So, please accept the challenge by sharing your list of five memories. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
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