Episode 38 – The Writer’s Toolbox – The Tool of Life Documentation

In this episode, Pete and Laura take another delve into The Writer’s Toolbox and add the tool of life documentation as a writer. 

Creative writing has many benefits, but often it can be intimidating to start. One way to dive into creative writing is through documenting your memories. In doing so, you can treasure them forever. Even passing them on to family as your legacy. 

Other benefits include:

• Finding clarity and truth within your life. 
• Bringing closure and healing. 
• Finding value and meaning. 
• It’s rewarding. 
• Preserving your family history. 
• Rediscovering elements of your life. 

How can you use this tool to document your life?

We can almost see time passing when we write about it. Laura even wrote a book about it. Writing helps save your memories, but why not take it a step further and go from memories to write a whole memoir?

The word memoir is French it comes from the word memory, or reminisce. 

The dictionary tells us a memoir is: “A written record of a person’s knowledge of events or of a person’s own experiences.”

There are a few conventions that you need to follow in your writing to make it a memoir. 

1. Your memoir must be true. 
2. Your memoir should tell a story. In our Memories to Memoir course, we look at literary techniques to help you tell the story.
3. Your memoir must show change. 
4. You may base your memoir on a theme, a set time, or a specific event.

The tool of life documentation can help you find clarity, closure, and healing. 
It deepens a sense of gratitude about your past life. 
It preserves your past, and it creates a legacy for the future. 

We’d love to know how you got on with the tool of life documentation. Use the email below and tell us how you have used this tool in your writing. 

We want to hear from you! info@derbyshirewritingschool.com

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