and sections of text to tell the story.
I have discussed why it is important to tell your story and that now is the time to begin. As with any project, it is best to have a plan.
One of the first things I learned in journalism classes is that a story should contain the five W’s: Who, What, When, Where and Why. Hopefully you’ve been convinced of the Why, so let’s start with the Who.
Who do you envision as the audience for your family history or memoir project? Are you creating it for your children or grandchildren? Will it be a gift for a parent, grandparent or other relative? Do you have stories you want to share with friends? Perhaps you believe the story would interest a broad audience and have hopes to publish and market it. Or is your focus narrower and you want to reflect upon your own life?
Once you have decided on the audience, think about What you could create that would be most engaging and accessible for your audience. For my mother, I began with a slideshow which included photos from her life and audio from her children, sharing what she meant to us and how we were inspired by her. I saved it on a DVD since she was in her 80’s and did not use a computer, cell phone or other electronic device. She loved it, as did the family.
I soon realized, however, that she didn’t know how to operate her DVD player and could only enjoy it when someone visited. I changed tactics and put together a memory book. It included photos with captions and text boxes which provided details beyond what the photos could convey. I used Shutterfly to design and print the book, although there are other publishing services. The book was a more meaningful gift for her because she could pick it up and browse through the memories when she was alone and feeling nostalgic. As her dementia worsened, the book also served as a tool to help her remember the special people, places and events of her life.
The What and When can be grouped together. Will your project cover a person or family chronologically, focusing on key events along the journey? Or do you want to focus on a particular time or event? Will you limit the project to childhood, a love story, parenting, a career, travel, a hobby, retirement or an event that changed your life? A theme could be used, such as overcoming adversity, people who influenced you, or lessons learned.
With a plan for what story you want to share, who you want to share it with, and the best way to present it, you will be ready to begin!
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Everyone has a story 