WHAT IS A STORY?
by J. Paul Turner
When we think of story we should think of putting on paper the re-creation of our life experience. We try to avoid putting on paper what we think, what we know, or what our opinion is, these are potential articles that could be published by other sources. Story, as we are defining it, is a memory of what we have experienced. It is a handy way to carry around our life experience.
Think of story as a container of what has happened to you, the good, the not so good, the spiritual, the not so spiritual, the joy, the sorrow, the interesting, the humorous, the fascinating, the mischievous, and even the boring. Our children and grandchildren need to know what has happened to us more than just word-of-mouth—a very unreliable source. They need to read our narratives, our captured words not the hearsay of what might have happened.
SO WHY DO WE WRITE?
Why do we senior adults think it's important that we capture our memories? Well first of all we've had our own regrets that we didn't ask our parents the questions we know now to ask, but it's too late. And this is a powerful motivator.
Second, most of our children are so preoccupied with life that they're not really cognizant of the questions they should be asking us. So why not answer their questions before they know to ask? LifeStory beats them to the punch, so to speak, and attempts to answer these questions.
Third, we are motivated by the love of our families to leave for them the knowledge of who we were and the life we've lived in Christ.
Fourth, we are people to whom God has given experiences too valuable to fade into oblivion. And that's exactly what will happen if we fail to capture our memories by recreating our life experience.
TIPS ON WRITING YOUR MEMORIES
1. Don't feel like you have to write War and Peace every time you sit down to write! Just set a goal of 500 to 750 words per memory.
2. You're not working on a deadline so take your time.
3. Never worry whether your writing is interesting. It is. Your writing also triggers memories in others and prompts them to write also.
4. Never underestimate how grateful your family will be that you're making this effort.
5. The smallest detail makes up the richness of the big picture. Therefore no detail is unimportant.
When You Open the pdf File Below:
Occasionally the word, "why" is used with these questions. Answering "why" is absolutely crucial. It helps you avoid answering a mere "yes" or "no."
Think of the questions as a menu. Pick and choose among the categories, mix and match which ones are best for you. Forget the rest.
These questions are simply to help jog your memory.
Click here for over 200 Writing Prompts
