This little turkey is taking a good look at all the reasons I have for GivingThanks. I won’t subject you to my thankfulness list, but I’m asking you to gather your thoughts about your loved ones and thank them for all they’ve given you throughout the years. Maybe you’ll thank them openly around the bountiful Thanksgiving table; better yet, put your thanks in writing.

 WRITING MEMOIRS THAT CAPTURE THE CHARACTER & SPIRIT OF LOVED ONES IS THE ULTIMATE WAY TO SAY THANK YOU.

Will you let your “loved ones” simply be forgotten? Will you make sure that doesn’t happen? “If you don’t write it down, it will be gone. Wouldn’t that be a shame?” Writing memoirs about significant people in your life will be one of the most exhilarating encounters you’ll ever experience. And what writing a memoir will be for you is absolutely unique. There is no one else who has your particular memories, your familiarity or understanding of the people, places, incidents, and events that you will portray in writing. Most importantly, there is not a soul on earth who has your voice – let it ring clear and true.

HONOR, REMEMBER, RESPECT, & RECOGNIZE OTHERS. The focus of TellTale Souls memoirs will be people who hold significant places in your life. Have you ever actually stopped to think about who they really are as individuals, as people unto themselves? What aspect of their being, what quality, action, or anecdote could you draw upon to bring the essence of their character to light in a short memoir, a bio-vignette, which would give someone reading your story a pretty good idea of what they are/were like as seen through your eyes?

At times they are mysterious, other times transparent. But of this you can be sure, they are not the same people to anyone other than you. For our purposes here, we’re not going to get philosophical, and we’ll leave the psychoanalysis to the docs. Their characters are multifaceted, their inner make up complex, but for you there are certain aspects of their spirit that stand out, those qualities through which their character comes to life.

What do you most want remembered about significant people in your life so that generations from now others will get a glimpse of them through the memoir you write now? Which significant parts of their character seem to be theirs and theirs alone?  Seize that little gem you’ve conjured up in your mind’s eye. Take hold of it, round it out, and polish it as you develop it into a true story that captures their character and spirit.    

Capturing the essence of the character of significant people can be daunting, but another way to think of it is that this is your opportunity to let them know that you find it valuable to take the time to look at them as individuals – there’s no better gift or no better way for you to honor them than to write a true tale capturing their character and spirit on the written page.

Give the Gift of Story to preserve the spirits of people you want remembered for generations to come. How will your great grandchildren get a glimpse of the treasures or mysteries you know and feel about them if you don’t safeguard them with a bio-vignette that only you can write?

4 Reasons to Tap Memory & Write Memoir: Give the Gift of Story

1.  Keep spirits alive. There is nothing like paying tribute to a loved one with a simple written record. A photograph captures a look at best, whereas a bio-vignette captures character and spirit. 

2.  Discover the secrets of men and women from different walks of life. Possibilities for embracing life unfold before us when we read true stories about people from a background different from our own. Shared wisdom compels compassion, understanding, and unity. 

3.  Create catharsis. The outcome of writing a short, true story about loved ones often results in emotional or psychological healing, when the relationship between the you and this significant person was at times difficult or rocky. 

4.  Become richer from the experience of actually writing a bio-vignette. Those of us who have embarked on this journey reach the other side more thoughtful, more knowing, and   more satisfied.

The Story Woman asks you to write a bio-vignette in Thanksgiving to show you remember the reasons you’re thankful for a significant person touching your life.