Life stories best-sellers among family

Mon., Oct. 2, 2006

Doug Worgul Kansas City Star

When you write

Cover these in your life story:

•Major life events – joyous and sad – including responses to those events.

•Date and place of your birth and basic information about your parents and siblings.

•Describe the houses, neighborhoods, towns/cities where you lived.

•What your parents did. What were their feelings about their work? Describe your feelings about your work, too.

•Where you went to school. Describe classmates and teachers. What were your parents' attitudes about school?

•Churches you attended. Was religion or faith important to your family?

•Write about your childhood friends and activities. Sports? Music? Hobbies? What did your family do for fun?

•Describe the first time you saw your spouse. What attracted you? What was it like the first time you met each other's families?

•Describe beginning your family and raising your children. What were the joys and hardships of family life? Describe your relationships with your children.

One of the best gifts you can give your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren is the gift of your life story. It will provide context for their lives and be a source of joy and practical information. Here’s how to get started writing your life story:

Remember: Details and information are more important than your writing style. Describe the personalities of the important people in your life. Describe all the smells, sights, sounds and tastes you can recall. Use plain language.

Use photos to trigger memories. Talk with family members and friends to help you remember significant events.

Use index cards to organize memories. Write each memory on its own card. Arrange the cards in chronological order and refer to them as you write.

William Fletcher, author of “Recording Your Family History,” suggests organizing your autobiography by decades or groupings of years (kindergarten, elementary school, high school, college, early adulthood, middle adulthood, retirement).

Don’t spend a lot of time describing world events or popular culture. Those are easy to research elsewhere. Instead, describe your reactions to those events.

Try to capture the relationships you have with family members, friends, neighbors, teachers and mentors. How did these relationships influence your life?