Capturing Memories--Writing Your Autobiography or Memoir

To write about your life. Where to start?

Instead of trying to "start from the beginning"--where you write, "I was born in such-and-such-a-year, and then, and then, and then .... and here I am."  It's better to catch small glimpses of various times of your life--those moments that stand out in your memories that you can easily put down on paper.  Sometimes you may have old photo albums or old magazines that you will find useful to bring out those old memories.  Sometimes you'll have items and knick-knacks around the house that will also stimulate those memories.  Whatever causes that spark, stick with it and get those memories on paper.

Don't worry about the grammar, the spelling, or sentence structure. That stuff can come later, if you really think you need it.  Just write what comes to your mind. If you have sentence fragments, fine. If you don't remember how things were spelled, don't worry--take a guess and write it down. 

 When you get these ideas, put them on loose-leaf paper and stick them in a loose-leaf binder.  If you wish, you can put identifying tabs in the binder for certain periods of your life to help you organize the information.  Even if you never get around to publishing the material you have collected, the captured memories will someday provide an interesting insight to the times that you lived through. It will provide a glimpse into how and why you lived the way you did. Your family, your descendants will value this captured history of their family history.