Mine For Memories

There is an enjoyable aspect to writing a memoir that takes place far from the computer keyboard (or typewriter, tape recorder or pencil and paper). This is the research we do to stimulate memory recall, link our lives with social history and confirm factual details.

Some writers wonder if they even have enough memories to write a memoir. Others worry whether time has twisted recollections until they are more fiction than fact. There’s no such thing as a “correct memory”—everyone perceives, interprets and remembers events differently. As memoir writers, our first step must be to find and claim the truth as we recall it, so we can get on with writing.

Memoir writers visit places we’ve lived—even knocking on doors at old addresses, hoping for a peek into a childhood bedroom or back yard. We catch the genealogy bug and troll through historical records, following the stories of ancestors. We pull out boxes of memorabilia off dusty shelves and mine the cache of memory-triggers therein.

As you approach writing your memoir, plan on spending some time on research. In an earlier  I encouraged you to start a timeline of your life, looking for the branching points that shaped you. Once you’ve created that list of branching points, do a bit of research to verify what you recall.

You could:

To fill in gaps, contact friends, relatives, former coworkers, neighbors, etc. You could ask for copies of letters or cards you wrote them, photographs and other documents. Ask what they remember about you—you might uncover stories you have long forgotten.

With every thread you follow, whether it’s five minutes on the Internet or a week-long trip back to your old hometown, you bring yourself closer to writing your memoir, as truthfully as you can.

Photo: Sarah White at her high school graduation, 1974.

Sarah White is the founder of First Person Productions.