Writing the story of one's life sounds like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. This warmhearted, encouraging guide helps readers record the events of their lives for family and friends. Excerpts from other writers' work are included to exemplify and inspire. Provided are tips on intriguing topics to write about, foolproof tricks to jog your memory, ways to capture stories on paper without getting bogged down, ways to gather the facts at a local library or historical society, inspired excerpts from other writers, and published biographies that will delight and motivate.

Introduction Your family will love you for giving them a priceless gift--the story of your life

xi

ONE Setting Up Your Memory Bank Foolproof ways to jog your memory about things that happened long ago

1

(2)

TWO Ground Rules Ten special tips to make writing the story of your life easy and effective

3

(4)

THREE Working On Your Assignments How to actually get it all down on paper

7

(4)

FOUR Birth Discover the world into which you were born and share it with your readers

11

(4)

FIVE Toys Special tips for digging up early memories

15

(8)

SIX Some Dos and Don'ts How to stay inspired and keep from getting bogged down

23

(6)

SEVEN Parents and Grandparents Finding out about the lives of your parents and grandparents

29

(14)

EIGHT It Wasn't Always Easy for Our Ancestors to Write Their Stories In fact, it was often hard!

43

(2)

NINE The Accomplishment of Which You Are the Most Proud Time for a little soul searching that may produce some happy surprises

45

(8)

TEN Create Your Own Assignments Your experiences, opportunities, problems, or solutions to problems that are truly unique

53

(6)

ELEVEN Where Were You on Important Days in History Your stories about where you were on important days in history are different from those of anyone else in the world

59

(10)

TWELVE Religion Has religion changed your life? Inspirational stories, funny stories, and more

69

(12)

THIRTEEN Relatives Aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers, sisters--making them come alive for your readers

81

(12)

FOURTEEN Courtship As she sees it; as he sees it

93

(10)

FIFTEEN Turning Points Changes in yourself and in your world that affected you and/or your family

103

(12)

SIXTEEN Children and the Things They Say Save the bright, funny, touching things kids say

115

(4)

SEVENTEEN Inventions Sharing with your readers your excitement about inventions you remember seeing or using for the first time

119

(6)

EIGHTEEN Holidays Memories, both happy and sad

125

(12)

NINETEEN Politics Party politics, the civil rights movement, the women's movement, and more

137

(8)

TWENTY Animals They're everywhere--in your home, at the zoo, on the farm, in the pet store, straying in the streets

145

(4)

TWENTY ONE Family Traditions Your family's special joys

149

(6)

TWENTY TWO Immigrants Americans all!

155

(8)

TWENTY THREE Your Stories Don't Actually Have To Be "Stories" In autobiographical writing almost any memory qualifies as a story

163

(8)

TWENTY FOUR Brief Encounters Even if they lasted only a moment they may enrich your memories forever

171

(6)

TWENTY FIVE More Living, More Stories More ideas for stories about your life, more memory helps

177

(6)

TWENTY SIX Where Do You Live? Where Did You Live? Places you have lived are part of your heritage

183

(8)

TWENTY SEVEN They Read the Book and Got Busy! How two men used this book, each in his own way

191

(18)

TWENTY EIGHT Research Fun and easy ways to find the facts you need

209

(10)

TWENTY NINE Revising and Pulling It All Together Weaving your stories into a book that will thrill your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren

219

(6)

THIRTY Publishing Your Stories This book is primarily about writing for your family, but here are some tips if you want to break into print

225

(16)

THIRTY ONE Your Special Privilege How to be your family's special link to history

241

(2)

Assignments

243

(4)

Suggested Autobiographies

247

(4)

Acknowledgments

251

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.