Remembering

In the foreword of Jean Fritz's book, Homesick: My Own Story, Ms. Fritz says, "When I started to write about my childhood in China, I found that my memory came out in lumps. Although I could for the most part arrange them in the proper sequence, I discovered that my preoccupation with time and literal accuracy was squeezing the life out of what I had to say. So I decided to forget about sequence and just get on with it."

In writing about your own life, I encourage you to "just get on with it." Right now, while the memories of Christmas 2007 still linger in the back of your mind, take some time to sit down and make a list of everything that happened--sights, sounds, smells, tastes. Don't worry about making a story at first, just get the information down. Then after you've done that, see what images stand out in your mind and write about those. Add the sounds and tastes to enrich your story. Let it sit for a few days, then go back and see what else you can add. After all of this has been done to your satisfaction, give it another reading and correct any grammar that jumps out at you, or have someone else do a critique so it can be as good as possible.

Happy remembering!

Anita C. Lee, professional life coach, speaker, and instructor for "Your Life, Your Story"
www.AnitaCLee.com

NOTE: The class, "Your Life, Your Story," will begin on April 8, not the 18th as stated in an earlier blog posting