Inspiring memories: how to research for memoir writing

Wondering where to start your research for memoir writing?

It’s all swirling around in your head. You’ve got a lot of random memories of the past – but is there enough to fill a book?

How do you unlock all the events you’ve forgotten?

Which parts of your life should be included, and which left out? It’s too soon to decide – for now, just get everything written down and figure it out later.

My partner and I are both writing our memoirs. Here are the steps we took to get the memories flowing:

Jot notes of everything you can remember

Don’t try to start writing anecdotes or putting things in date order yet, but include basic memory-joggers and add dates or ages where possible:

Sort through family photographs

If you want to include other people’s photos in your memoir, it’s best to get written permission if you’re planning to publish your memoirs.

Look through your documents

Check dates on birth or marriage certificates, house purchase documents, car documents, service history papers, employment and tax records, medical records, school reports, diaries and calendars.

Look through old journals, school-books and poems you’ve written. Use Post-it notes to mark the places of extracts you might wish to include in your memoirs.

Contact your close family

Ask your parents, brothers and sisters for their memories, especially for funny or dramatic events. If possible, visit or Skype with them and chat about old times while you make notes.

You may need to explain that you’re not asking them to write your memoirs for you, just to remind you of what happened.

Think through an average day in your life

When you were about six or seven years old, how did an ordinary day start? Where and how did you wake up? What did you have for breakfast? Did you go to school? How did you get there? What did you wear and carry with you? How did you feel on the way there? Which lessons did you enjoy? Which teachers can you remember? What games and activities did you do during play-time? What happened at the end of the school day? etc.

Then try it again for your teenage years, as a young adult, and so on for each different stage of your life.

Think about how your life changed through the seasons

How did different weather affect your activities as a child? Was your home different in winter and summer?

Remember celebrations

How were birthdays, religious festivals etc. celebrated in your family? Can you remember particular gifts you gave or received? Why are they important to you?

List all the places you’ve been

Think of trips away, days out, relatives you visited, places you worked (if your memoir includes your adult life). Which experiences affected your life? Which places will you never forget, and why?

Research world events

Which key historical events have you lived through – in your own country and worldwide? Did they affect your life? Which hit songs and movies were favourites you can remember? Why were they relevant to your life?

Think about what’s changed since you were young

Do children have more freedom, or less? How is daily life different? What has been introduced or invented during your lifetime? Have any important laws changed since you were young?

 

Once you’ve unlocked as many memories as you can, it’ll be time to create a timeline of events.

Share a memory in the comments below!