How to Write Your Life Story Some ideas from Ralph Fletcher

Brainstorm a List 0 Include any possible events, people, and things that might appear in your memoir. 0 My second home: Kim’s house 0 Black Butte Ranch 0 Horses 0 Cereal 0 Animals: Bandit’s 9 lives, Finding Hobbes, Misadventure with Magic, Pepper in the Fire

Write About Your Name 0 This simple technique can help you unearth lots of great material for your life story. Ask yourself: 0 Who were you named after? Is there a story connected to that? 0 What nicknames have you had? 0 Were you ever teased about your name? 0 Do people often misspell or mispronounce it? 0 How do you feel about your name?

Sketch a Map of your Neighborhood 0 Close your eyes and try hard to imagine all the details of your neighborhood. 0 The more your sketch, the more details you add, the more you’ll remember. 0 Pick a place you know super well—a neighborhood you lived for several years, a relative’s house or apartment you often visited, a vacation home, or a summer camp you return to every year. 0 Don’t try to make it look professional, just detailed.

Ralph Fletcher’s Map

Sketch a Map of your Neighborhood 0 As you make your map, label to mark: 0 Where something happened (you lost a tooth, found a pocket knife,, or buried a beloved pet) 0 A “power spot” (where all the neighborhood kids gathered) 0 A “danger spot” (a place you had to avoid) 0 A favorite place 0 A secret place

Make a “Heart Map” 0 Similar to a map of your neighborhood, but with a twist—it’s an emotional map of what matters to you. 0 Things near and dear to your heart (family, friends, hobbies, interests) 0 Some things included on a “heart map” can be serious, while others can be more playful.

Example “Heart Map”

Still need some topic ideas?

Gather Artifacts 0 At home tonight, get a box to gather things that have been important to you. 0 Examples: a beloved stuffed animal or doll, your first baseball glove, a scrap from your baby blanket, an old photograph of you, Girl or Boy Scout badges, old journals or trading cards 0 Hold the object, close your eyes, and see what rises into your memory. 0 Where did you get it? Who gave it to you? Did it ever get lost? How did (does) it make you feel?

Collect Family Stories 0 In your family, are there certain stories that get told again and again at holidays, weddings, reunions? 0 Jot down a list of those stories, especially if one of them happens to involve you. If you can’t remember it in all it’s detail, ask a relative later tonight. Ask lots of questions!