There are more than six billion people on the planet and I am a firm believer that every
one of us has a story to tell. We all do the best we can with what we’ve got, spend most of
our lives trying to determine what is most important, face huge obstacles, and learn from
our worst mistakes. So how strange is it that on a planet with so many stories, every one
of them is so important? I’m not implying that every one of those stories is important to
everyone. My point is that every one of those stories is important to someone. To the
person whose story is being told. And probably to those closest to that person: their
family.
What is Memoir Writing?
Memoir writing, also called legacy writing, is probably the most important writing
we do in life. Legacy writing is the taking of wisdom and spinning it onto the page in a
way that leads the reader down the path to a conclusion by letting them live in the shoes
of the storyteller. Legacy writing is the taking of what has been most profound in any one
person’s existence and bringing it to life on the page so that future generations can
intimately experience it. What could be worth more?
Have you thought of what it would be like to get to know one of your relatives and
see the world through their eyes? What it would be like to know someone who is now lost
to you? To have pages and pages of their life at your fingertips to revisit in a moment?
This is the power of a memoir, of legacy writing.
I can think of no better gift than the gift of immortality. And that is what legacy
writing is. Your memoir is a chance for your grandchildren to get to know you. For your
sisters and brothers to see into your soul. For your friends to cherish you now and after
you are gone. Legacy writing is your opportunity to let others share in your journey.
So whether you pen your legacy writing yourself, or hire someone to help you put
your memoir into words, the experience of getting your story down in writing delivers a
life transformation a rare opportunity to relive your most profound moments, all the joy
and all the pain. Good legacy writing must capture the roller coaster ride of life. A good
memoir must capture an individual’s truth, from our greatest successes to our most
heartbreaking failures.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when thinking of writing your own memoir:
1. What was one thing your mother or father did that really pissed you off when you
were a teenager?
2. What was your most profound moment in romantic love?
3. When was the first time you saw a parent cry?
4. What was your greatest success in your career?
5. What did you do with your first big paycheck?
6. What was your most memorable moment of family love?
7. What do you feel was the biggest sacrifice you ever made?
8. Have you ever felt like a hero?
9. What have you been most embarrassed about?
10. Do you remember your wildest party?
11. Name a time you fell flat on your face.
12. Name a time you were on top of the world.
13. What is one habit you have that no one knows about?
14. What did you want to do with your life when you were only 5?
15. How did you lose your virginity?
16. Who was your favorite childhood playmate?
17. What did you get in trouble for as a child?
18. Have you ever stolen anything?
19. With whom did you share your first kiss?
The answers to these questions are what your loved ones would love to know about
you. These are the moments that define you, that bring you to life, that humanize you. So
put your truth on the page. There is no better way to rebirth yourself than through legacy
writing. The catharsis that comes from laying out your history frees you to look
differently at your future. To truly live again.
Put your life in writing. Write your legacy. Write your memoir.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corey Blake the co-author of EDGE! A Leadership Story (Morgan James, 2008), is
President of Writers of the Round Table, Inc., a strategic literary development company
that assists authors, directors, executives, and publishers to generate writing content of
substantial quality and bring it to market. Visit us at Writers of the Round Table, to
receive a free consultation on how we can help you write YOUR legacy!
