A couple of years ago my uncle died. He was an intelligent articulate man that had published many articles in his field. While going through his belongings, my cousin found a treasure. It was his memories beginning in childhood, through part of his later years. She graciously sent me a copy. Reading it was wonderful! Not only did I find so much about his life I never knew, I got a glimpse of my father’s family and part of his life. Writing my own memoir to leave for my children and grandchildren has always been in my mind. His motivated me further but where and how do I start? That’s why I was so happy to get this book. It not only gives me a starting point but also direction.
I know it won’t be written in 30 days as the title suggests, but in 30 days the book will help me produce a rough “skeleton” of my life story. I liked it that the author says “just write”, get it down on paper, and worry about punctuation, spelling, and grammar later. That is such a hindrance to many who write, thinking it has to be “perfect” the first time. The beginning of the book also opens the door to the idea that there can be many different types of memoirs you might want to write.
Each day focuses on a different aspect of your life to think about. For me, I have many memories and thoughts but they are jumbled together in my mind and come forward when triggered by some outside source. The author had lots of thought provoking ideas to delve deeper into those recollections therefore giving more meaning and detail to my writing. There were also samples of other people’s memoir writings to illustrate what the author was suggesting and avoiding mistakes. In addition, I found them as a springboard to further organize my thoughts. This book helps you do more than tell your stories; it helps you share your emotions, feelings, and experiences at a deeper level.
I am a writer. I love to write, but I think this book would be a great help to someone that writing does not come easily. I want to leave a written legacy as my uncle did for our family. I found this book very helpful and inspiring!
I received this book free from FBS Associates which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.