regarding truth and the accuracy of our memories
Wednesday, August 30th, 2006This outline is adapted from a handout I give to my life-writing students. The points made here apply to writing in general as well as to writing our life stories in particular. This outline is adapted from a handout I give to my life-writing students. The points made here apply to writing in general as well as to writing our life stories in particular. I. Why should we write? A. Frank McCord in Writer’s Digest, Feb. ’99, p. 19: “But now I realize that everyone has a story. Nothing is significant until you make it significant. It’s not what happens to you, but how you look at it.” B. Frank P. Thomas, How to Write the Story of Your Life: “God created people because He loves stories.” “Humans are happiest when we are creating.” There is a revival of activity today in search of our roots and family history. C. Stunk & White, The Elements of Style: Writing is a way to go about thinking. D. Rick DeMarinis, The Art and Craft of the Short Story: Storytelling is how we make sense of the world. E. Robin Hemley, Turning Life Into Fiction: Writing is a discovery process. Part of the fun is learning why you wrote what you wrote. F. Writer’s Digest, Aug. ’00, pp. 20-21: You might find that the greatest rewards of writing…evolve during the process of bringing your ideas to the page. As you reveal more of yourself on the page, you might notice patterns in the way you think, behave, react to people and situations. This self-awareness can help you make better decisions, understand difficult situations, sort through feelings. It is a powerful way to find answers to some of your most difficult questions. And it can remind you that there are no easy answers

