This is a practical-and encouraging-how-to book from a long-time teacher of personal and family history writing.
Katie Funk Wiebe helps beginning memoir writers get started collecting the stories of their lives. She gives hints for recalling distant memories and tracking down family heirlooms.
There are tips on writing, exercises to prod the memory, and advice on looking at the broad scope of a well-lived life.
A serious but accessible resource for undertaking your personal or family history writing.
Preface 3
Chapter 1 You Have a Story Waiting to be Told 5
A Few Beginning Tips 8
Chapter 2 Putting Together the Puzzle of Life 15
Chapter 3 Getting Started Writing About Yourself 23
Where will you find information to write about yourself? 23
Chapter 4 Writing About Other People 39
Why Write a Biography? 41
Main Characteristics of Biography 42
Important Sources to Investigate 50
Chapter 5 Choose a Theme and Plot 55
Chapter 6 Stories Are Always Winners 63
What is the subject matter of personal narrative or story? 65
What makes a great story? 66
What is a story? 66
Chapter 7 Becoming Comfortable with Your Family's Story 81
Focus first on your grandparents 84
Focus next on your parents 84
Chapter 8 One Life, Many Stages 91
Stage 1 Connecting With the Early Years 92
Stage 2 Tracing Defining Moments in Adolescence 101
Stage 3 Finding the Markers in Young Adulthood 105
Stage 4 A Look at the Middle Years (not middle age) 113
Stage 5 Retirement and Beyond 118
Chapter 9 History Happens to Everyone 123
Echoes of the Great Depression 124
Exploring the Resources of World War II 132
Exploring the Resources of the Turbulent 1960s 138
Exploring the Resources of the 1970s and Following Decades 142
Chapter 10 Memories Are Also Made of These 149
The Works of Our Lives 149
Writing About the Life Others Don't See 155
Writing About Relationships With People 162
The Best or Worst Time of Your Life 167
Folklore Improves the Flavor 170
Chapter 11 Optional Writing Tasks 179
How to Give Away What Can't Be Counted or Measured 179
Writing Your Last "Writes" 186
Chapter 12 Final Hurdles to the Finished Product 189
Hurdle No. 1 The Temptationto Quit 189
Hurdle No. 2 Making Your Writing More Readable and Interesting 202
Hurdle No. 3 Revising and Polishing 209
Hurdle No. 4 Publishing 214
Additional Resources 219
About the Author 222
Wm-VA
Posted September 14, 2011
I started writing a book of my life mixed with my family genealogy. The book was bought to see if I was doing the right things in the correct order. After readin it the astounding thing was that everything I had plained to include in the book and the order in which I had placed each chapter was in the book. Some people might think, (after reading this) that they themselves may not need to read the book, but that is the wrong idea. Even though I was doing everything right I found it very informative and could not lay it down until every word was read.
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Overview
This is a practical-and encouraging-how-to book from a long-time teacher of personal and family history writing.
Katie Funk Wiebe helps beginning memoir writers get started collecting the stories of their lives. She gives hints for recalling distant memories and tracking down family heirlooms.
There are tips on writing, exercises to prod the memory, and advice on looking at ...