This month we are finishing the ideas presented by Angie Lucas in a FamilySearch blogpost, outlining strategies for writing your own story. To see the earlier ideas, see March and April editions of Family Ties.

Use your handwriting. Yup, write some of your story by hand. It may be easier for you to type your story, but your family wants to see your handwriting. Think back on those times that you have looked at Grandma’s handwritten recipes or a letter from your dad. What kinds of memories do those pieces of writing bring to your mind? Think about what you can write by hand to include in your story.

One of the biggest problems that most writers struggle with is trying to make their writing sound formal. Unless you speak in a formal manner, write the way you speak. The most interesting personal stories are written that way. Let your authentic voice come through the words on the page. Forget about grammar. If you feel stuck in trying to find your voice, try writing like you were telling your story to someone. Actually say your story out loud, and then write it down.

As I mentioned in the last paragraph, don’t worry about your spelling or grammar. Don’t let your wanting to be perfect the first time through get in the way of actually getting the words down on paper. Perfection is not a goal; it is a process. Your writing is also a process, so just write. “An imperfect life story that’s written down is infinitely more valuable than a perfect story that’s never told,” stresses Lucas. If you can speak in coherent sentences, you can write in coherent sentences. Once you feel your story is finished, then worry about grammar, etc. You might surprise yourself.

While you are trying to brainstorm things to write about, try making lists. This is an easier method of figuring out what you want to write about. The list could include such things as:

• Cities you’ve lived in
• Favorite movies or books
• Traits you’ve inherited from your grandma
• Schools you attended

Let your imagination work on possible things to write about and make those lists.

Once you begin writing, make it a regular practice. Set aside a day of the week or month to work on your story. You might want to consider your birth month as a time to write. The important thing is that you keep writing. Keep a journal to record your thoughts or use your smartphone to record ideas as they come to you. You might even want to keep multiple journals. Each journal can serve different purposes, like memories, funny things your children or grandchildren say, insights, etc. The ideas are endless.

The ultimate goal in owning your own story is to make that story permanent. Don’t spend hours writing your story and then not share it with others. Your family wants to know who you are! Publish your story or put it in your profile on FamilySearch. Your personal stories will remain private while you are living. Eventually they will be visible to the entire extended family.

What you decide to do with your story is ultimately up to you. Don’t let your insecurities stand in the way of your helping your children and grandchildren. Your life can be a guiding light to others, letting them know that you have lived a life worth recording. [Source: Angie Lucas, FamilySearch Blogpost, 3 January 2018]