Living Legacies: How to Write, Illustrate, and Share Your Life Stories

by Elgin, Duane

• ISBN13: 9781573245524
• ISBN10: 1573245526
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Summary

Creating stories allows individuals and their families to see and honor their connection to older and younger generations. The authors believe that through such writing, individuals not only communicate the meaning and spirit of their lives to their loved ones but also gain perspective on the larger world.

This beautifully designed and illustrated guide escorts readers through the process of writing down their stories and illustrating them with photographs, memorabilia, and other images, including digital format. By offering readers questions to draw out events and memories, the book emphasizes a person's full life, in all of its highs and lows, magic moments, and simple pleasures. The book's supportive approach will inspire even first-time writers to forge a collection of stories to share and pass on to the important people in their lives.

Table of Contents

Foreword	13	(4)
Angeles Arrien
Why Create Stories?	17	(12)
Story: ``Remembering Merke''	20	(2)
Creating Your Life Stories	22	(1)
Our Approach to Recording Stories	23	(3)
A life story can be short and simple	24	(1)
A life story can recreate the experience	25	(1)
A story is a journey	25	(1)
The Purpose of This Book	26	(3)
How to Begin	29	(12)
Making Time for Your Stories	30	(1)
Why Create This Story?	30	(2)
How to Include Your Family and Friends	32	(3)
Join with others who are creating stories	32	(1)
Create a book of stories with others	33	(1)
Invite family and friends to create stories for your collection	34	(1)
How to Keep Track of Your Ideas	35	(1)
How to Record Your Stories	35	(6)
Scrapbooks	35	(1)
Acid-free materials	36	(1)
Audio and videotapes	36	(1)
Supplies for the scrapbook approach	37	(1)
Using a computer	38	(3)
Creating Your Time Line	41	(10)
Example Time Line: ``Genevieve Shannon Tyler''	46	(5)
Writing Your Life Stories	51	(20)
Finding Your Voice and Style	52	(1)
Making It Personal	53	(1)
Choosing a Topic	54	(1)
Allow Your Story to Blossom	54	(1)
There's a First Time for Everything	55	(1)
Putting Pen to Paper	56	(1)
Visualize the story	56	(1)
Create a first draft	56	(1)
What to Do if You're Stuck	57	(3)
Reveal the essence	58	(2)
An Early Draft of Elaine's Story	60	(4)
Add details that give life to your story	61	(2)
Trim your story	63	(1)
Elaine's Revisions of Her Story	64	(7)
Ask a friend for feedback	66	(1)
Completing your story	67	(1)
Story: ``Beach Blush''	68	(3)
Discovering Your Life Stories	71	(36)
My Childhood	72	(4)
Story: ``Saving Jenny''	74	(2)
People Who Have Inspired Me	76	(2)
Animal Friends	78	(4)
Story: ``Our Dog Ziggy''	80	(2)
Loves of My Life	82	(2)
Home Sweet Home	84	(4)
Story: ``Dear Emma and Ryder''	86	(2)
Nature's Gifts	88	(4)
Story: ``June Snow in the Sierra''	90	(2)
Unforgettable Memories	92	(4)
Story: ``When Daddy Died''	94	(2)
Heart Openings	96	(4)
Story: ``Soulful Eyes in Sao Paolo''	98	(2)
Small Miracles	100	(2)
Moments of Awakening	102	(5)
Story: ``My Life-Changing Experience''	104	(3)
Collecting Life Stories	107	(20)
Exploring My Family History	108	(8)
Recording family stories	108	(2)
Creating a family tree	110	(2)
Example: ``The Carreno Family Tree''	112	(2)
Story: ``Herein Lies Forgiveness''	114	(2)
Interviewing Family and Friends for Great Stories	116	(2)
Remembering a Child's Life	118	(6)
Record the story of your child's birth	118	(1)
Recount first times	119	(1)
Interview a child or teenager	120	(1)
Have a child create a story	120	(2)
Story: ``For Isabel: The Story of Your Birth''	122	(2)
Honoring a Special Person	124	(3)
Illustrating Your Life Stories	127	(38)
Seven Steps in Creating an Illustrated Story	128	(5)
Do a preliminary search for visual materials	128	(1)
Notice the images and feelings that the story elicits	128	(1)
Generate ideas with others for communicating the story visually	129	(1)
Choose a visual theme	130	(1)
Select materials	131	(2)
The Importance of Acid-Free Materials	133	(7)
Create a layout	134	(4)
Complete your illustrated story	138	(2)
Suggestions for Working with Photographs	140	(2)
Cropping photographs	140	(1)
Framing photographs	140	(1)
Creating captions	141	(1)
Working with old photos	141	(1)
Basic Guidelines for Simple Text and Photo Layouts	142	(2)
A One-Page Collage with a Historical Theme	144	(8)
Story: ``Of Cod and Men''	144	(1)
We did a preliminary search for materials	145	(1)
We generated ideas	145	(1)
We chose a visual theme	146	(1)
We selected materials	146	(1)
We created the layout	146	(2)
Sample Collage: ``Of Cod and Men''	148	(2)
Illustration: Photographs used in ``Of Cod and Men''	150	(1)
Instructional Example: ``Of Cod and Men''	151	(1)
A Collage with Artifacts	152	(6)
Sample Collage: ``My Time in Vietnam''	154	(2)
Instructional Example: ``My Time in Vietnam''	156	(2)
A Two-Page Collage with Playful Theme	158	(7)
Sample Collage: ``Playing Boat''	160	(2)
Instructional Example: ``Playing Boat''	162	(3)
Your Legacy	165	(4)
Questions for Considering Your Legacy	166	(1)
A Letter to Future Generations	166	(3)
Resource Guide	169	(10)
Types of Scrapbooks	170	(2)
Three-ring binder	170	(1)
Scrapbook with removable pages	171	(1)
Bound scrapbook	171	(1)
Preserving Your Scrapbook	172	(1)
Distributors of Acid-Free Supplies and Materials	172	(1)
Internet Resources	173	(4)
Scrapbook supplies	173	(1)
Scrapbook book and product reviews	173	(1)
Recording life stories	173	(1)
Writing family stories, family trees, and genealogy	174	(1)
Archival preservation	175	(1)
Family Web site	175	(1)
Digital storytelling	176	(1)
Recommended Reading	177	(2)
Acknowledgments	179	(3)
About the Story Creators	182	(2)
About the Book Designer	184	(2)
About the Authors	186