Writing about Yourself

The easiest things to write about are the things you know most about. And for me, I know the most about myself: my life and my likes.

But sometimes I know SO much about myself that it is overwhelming.

That's where brainstorming comes in. There are lots of way to write down and organize all the stuff I know and remember and think and do.

One way is using the ABC Box.

In the ABC Box, write down the stories or memories you have that start with the letter in the box. For example, under the letter "S" I might write down how I met my husband, Stan. Or under the letter "U" I might write down the words "Upside Down Cake" to remind myself of the time I dropped my brother's birthday cake.

Timelines are another effective way of mining story ideas. You could make a timeline that records all your writing history, or a timeline that illustrates your experiences with a certain sport, or a person.

Finally, an architectural blueprint is a great way to pull stories from different places. Making a blueprint of your house, your grandma's house, or even school and then writing memories that occurred in each room can help you organize the story ideas you didn't even know you had.

Once you have your ideas laid out before you, you can pick and choose and combine all or parts of stories. For example, combining details from my first date with Stan with details about a conversation we had months later in my mother's kitchen (when he first told me he loved me) can make a really heartwarming story.

So, this week's assignment is to come up with as many ideas as we can about ourselves.

What do you remember? Where do you remember it? What happened before and after?

Write it down and share!