Remember Me : Turning Memories into Stories
September 2nd 2006 23:22
I bet you have some great memories. I do. Most of us have. And I find the older I get, the better they seem. In the last 5 years or so I’ve also become more aware of how important it is to get these memories down into some form of written work. Yes, I am talking memoirs, but it doesn’t have to be a scary business. When I speak to people about writing their memoirs they all say pretty well the same things … ‘Nothing special has happened to me.’ ‘I can’t write to save my life.’ ‘Who would read it?’
Well, first of all, it is only a small percentage of people who have had truly notable lives, and have you ever noticed that most celebrity biographies you read are so much the same! I mean, you really only need to read a few and I think you’ve read them all. As for writing … you speak, don’t you? You tell people about events in your life, good and bad. All you’re doing by writing your memoirs is writing down what you say, and if you want, you can add another dimension by including your thoughts. As for who will read it, I think you’ll find the most important people in the world will read it – your descendents.
I have yet to meet anyone (over the age of 30), who is not interested in their ancestors. Just look at the amount of time and money spent on investigating family histories. To these people coming across a journal or diary of a great grandmother or grandfather is like pure gold. Not only can you get some facts, you get a perspective that would otherwise be lost forever.
If it still all seems just too hard, think about trying this. I have been writing individual memories of my life into short stories, with myself as the main character. By taking just one memory, like a fishing trip, you can tell the story without worrying about filling in any back ground information or character history. It’s easy and quick and the story (memory) is preserved. You don’t have to do these in order either. Write them as they occur to you. In time you’ll find you can shuffle all the stories to make a chronological record of your memories. What you do with them then is entirely up to you. Write a novel, biography, memoirs. Give it to someone else to write, or simply file them away in a folder (clearly marked) and wait for that one family member to come along who has an interest and a talent for writing – and believe me, that person will come along one day. It may be well after you’re gone, but you have certainly left them a special gift.
This is a well used practice by some writers. One of the best examples I can think of is Tim Winton. His novels are loaded with childhood memories, (and he constantly alludes to this) which he gives to his characters. In the hands of a good writer, this can result in great story telling. If you’re unsure of what I’m driving at here, read Winton’s The Turning and you’ll see exactly what I mean. A more recent example is Tara June Winch’s Swallow The Air. Tara is a new, young author, but she has quickly learnt how to write-in her own memories to create a wonderfully powerful novel.
At the end of the day of course, it is entirely up to you what you do with your memories. They are the one thing that is completely yours and yours alone. Some people don’t want to share something so personal. But if you would like to have a go at immortality, I think writing your memoirs is probably the best way of going about it.
Well, first of all, it is only a small percentage of people who have had truly notable lives, and have you ever noticed that most celebrity biographies you read are so much the same! I mean, you really only need to read a few and I think you’ve read them all. As for writing … you speak, don’t you? You tell people about events in your life, good and bad. All you’re doing by writing your memoirs is writing down what you say, and if you want, you can add another dimension by including your thoughts. As for who will read it, I think you’ll find the most important people in the world will read it – your descendents.
I have yet to meet anyone (over the age of 30), who is not interested in their ancestors. Just look at the amount of time and money spent on investigating family histories. To these people coming across a journal or diary of a great grandmother or grandfather is like pure gold. Not only can you get some facts, you get a perspective that would otherwise be lost forever.
If it still all seems just too hard, think about trying this. I have been writing individual memories of my life into short stories, with myself as the main character. By taking just one memory, like a fishing trip, you can tell the story without worrying about filling in any back ground information or character history. It’s easy and quick and the story (memory) is preserved. You don’t have to do these in order either. Write them as they occur to you. In time you’ll find you can shuffle all the stories to make a chronological record of your memories. What you do with them then is entirely up to you. Write a novel, biography, memoirs. Give it to someone else to write, or simply file them away in a folder (clearly marked) and wait for that one family member to come along who has an interest and a talent for writing – and believe me, that person will come along one day. It may be well after you’re gone, but you have certainly left them a special gift.
Image: www.panmacmillan.com.au
This is a well used practice by some writers. One of the best examples I can think of is Tim Winton. His novels are loaded with childhood memories, (and he constantly alludes to this) which he gives to his characters. In the hands of a good writer, this can result in great story telling. If you’re unsure of what I’m driving at here, read Winton’s The Turning and you’ll see exactly what I mean. A more recent example is Tara June Winch’s Swallow The Air. Tara is a new, young author, but she has quickly learnt how to write-in her own memories to create a wonderfully powerful novel.
Image: www.abbeys.com.au
At the end of the day of course, it is entirely up to you what you do with your memories. They are the one thing that is completely yours and yours alone. Some people don’t want to share something so personal. But if you would like to have a go at immortality, I think writing your memoirs is probably the best way of going about it.
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Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
I mean, I sort of take the attitude: what do they really have to do with me. Why should I take pride in their victories, or shame in their defeats?
All cultures have cults of ancestor worship, and hierarchies based on bloodlines. I don't think if these are good things...
Comment by Joanne
Open Book