Have you ever said, “This is something I need to do someday,” but never start (or finish) that task? You’re not alone.

If life story writing is one of your goals this year, but you’ve always thought it was too difficult, Take heart! I’m here to help.

Last year, I led guided autobiography classes to uncomplicate a seemingly monumental task—life story writing. While many wish to preserve their memories, experiences and lessons with family members, they just don’t know where to begin. Sound familiar? I’d like to share a few reasons why writing your life story doesn’t have to be difficult and bust some of the myths surrounding memoir writing. In reality, recording life experiences is not for everyone, and that’s okay. But first, let’s consider why it is important to some:

• There is important family history you wish to preserve. What do you want your kids or grandkids to know about how you or your parents grew up and what your lives were like?
• Family stories are often passed down orally but many times there is a need to know more detail or to back up what you’ve heard with facts. Maybe one of your relatives lived during an important historic event; nothing is as powerful as a first-person account.
• You don’t want to be in a position of losing a mother, father, grandparent or other family member before asking important questions, or finding the answers to family history. (My father passed when I was seven; I would have loved to learn more about his military service, family ancestors and growing up in the early twentieth century.)
• Plus, there’s no better way to honor a person’s life!

Below, I hope to provide encouragement and debunk the common stumbling blocks to getting started.

Myth #1: I have to be a “good” writer to record my memories.
Fact: If you can write a letter, you can record your life stories. When you write the way you speak—in your own words—you keep it authentic. Remember, you are preserving memories for your family, not writing a best seller.

Myth #2: I’ll have to start my story from birth and include everything until the present.
Fact: You can include any part of your life, and leave any part out; it’s your story after all. Memoir writing, by its definition, usually highlights a specific time in a person’s life.

Myth #3: It’s too complicated, where would I start?
Fact: Write about what’s most important to you. Is it your career, family life, funny stories, or coming of age in a certain decade—you can begin with any of these topics before you move on to another subject. To help you get started, email me at pat@reallifelegacies.com, put “life story topics” in the subject line, and I’ll send you FREE writing prompts from which to choose.

Myth #4: I don’t type well, how am I going to record my thoughts?
Fact: If you don’t type, you can keep a dedicated journal or loose-leaf binder to write down your memories. You can also speak your stories into a voice recorder. (This is available on most smart phones.) If you do type your stories into your computer, it is always important to save your work to an external back up or to the cloud.

So, you can stop saying, “I need to do this someday” and know that this important life goal is getting done now!