Writing about Memories
Like millions of Americans, I
keep a journal in which I write recollections and reflections of my life. And,
like millions of Americans, I find it a very therapeutic way of embracing
emotions and coming to grips with events that have shaped my world. It’s
cheaper than therapy, and it’s easier than driving over to a friend’s house to
giving him a good, swift kick for being so stupid.
If you keep a journal or do
any sort of daily chronicles, you too may understand the powerful effects of
writing about your memories. You may even hide a dusty cardboard box full of
torn spiral notebooks in the back of your closet. Often, the memory books go
unnoticed, but you know they’re old friends who you revisit on lonely winter
days or at times when you need to reconnect with your past.
If this doesn’t sound like
you, this next unit could help you begin the process of connecting with
yourself.
Why Write About Memories?
Everybody has a story. I'm of
the opinion that our past shapes our future. It amazes me to think where I
might be today if I hadn't done some of the things I've done or not met some of
the wonderful people who've helped me shaped my life. A great quote sums up my
philosophy, "Every day that I draw breath, is yet another opportunity to
continuously create myself." Of
course, my memory is so poor that I can’t remember where I lifted the quote,
but I find it true.
So what about you? I’m sure somewhere in your life you did
something or met someone who altered your life path. Maybe it was that time
when you were in fifth grade and first got drunk on Slo’
Gin with the group you played street football with. That event caused you to
swear off the strong stuff forever. Or,
maybe getting picked up by the cops for throwing a mannequin off the
Whatever the event, it is
important enough to write about. It shaped who you are, and you should do it
justice by chronicling it.
But WHY?
There are three main reasons
for writing about memories. And without turning all Dr. Phil on you, they are:
To come to grips with a past event. Sometimes something happens in our life that is
just too horrible to think about. So, we bury it in the back of our minds.
However, after a while, it’s sure to manifest itself, and we’ll have to deal
with it. Writing about memories helps us speed up the
process. It helps us embrace our pasts, so we can move into the future with a
little less baggage.
To teach others a lesson. When I was
growing up in
To bond with others. If you’ve ever felt all alone and like no one has
ever gone through what you’ve gone through, recalling your memories could help.
Humans engage in story telling (memory sharing) all the time. We often think it’s fun, and sometimes we walk away with new or stronger
friendships because of the practice.
Telling your memories helps the reader realize that he/she is not all
alone in this great big world, which is seen as a requirement for a more
fulfilled life.
Which Memories Work Best to Write About?
Choosing a memory of
significance is often the most challenging part for students who are embarking
on memory writing. The other task, pulling them out of the recesses of our
minds, is also difficult. I’ll tackle both challenges in this document.
Best Memories:
Stereotypically there are two
categories of memories that typically work well when writing about the past
--firsts and traumatic events. Everyone has had one or the other in his/her
life. The first kiss, they first child, the first car accident, are all
examples of memories which stick with us the longest and are easiest to
access. Go through your own mind and see
if you can recall these firsts:
Your first time getting
caught stealing was ______________.
Your first
girlfriend/boyfriend was ___________________.
The first teacher who made a
difference in your life was ____________.
You first pet was
_______________________
Now, see if you can connect with any of these
traumatic situations:
I learned about death when
_________________________.
I got beat up when I was
___________________________.
I was part of or saw an auto
accident_______________.
My partner cheated on me
___________________________.
For some reason these
less-than-happy events also stick with us for a very, very long while, and
sometimes recalling them causes us to feel emotions similar to those we felt at
the time of the trauma. That’s why they’re such great ones to write about.
WHAT IF I STILL CAN’T FIND A MEMORY?
If after going through your
memory core you still draw a blank, here are some tips which are sure to elicit
a memory or two that you may want to write about.
Take a Whiff: Dig
through your bathroom cabinet and find some cologne or perfume you haven’t worn
for a while. Or, go to a shop and find some smell-good your partner once wore.
Smell it! And, as you do, let your mind
take you back to the last time you remember smelling that scent. Money has it, you’ll see a snapshot or an entire scene from your past.
Open You Ears:
One thing I regularly do when I want to take a trip down memory lane is to pop
an old tape or CD into my player. Listening to Ratt
or Wham takes me back to homecoming dances. Hearing Dolly Parton
makes me remember long road trips with country-loving family members. And, the
sound of “Whoop There It Is,” pulls me back to an incident I encountered at a
football game a few years ago.
Regardless of what memories your oldies elicit, they’re there, and you
can write about them.
Take a Peak: If you’re still stuck, try this won’t-fail technique
for those of us who weren’t homeschooled. Go get your
high school year book--you know the one you did from all your girlfriends or
boyfriends because of that mullet hairdo you were sporting. Leaf through it slowly, and let your mind
find those memories you stuffed far away. They may not all be pleasant, or they
might bring back fun recollections of frantic times or fanatic friends. Then, write about one of them.
If these don’t work, then
call your mother. She’ll likely recall an embarrassing moment or seven. She
might even drop by with a few photo
albums, full of naked babies, a whole section devoted to Weird Cousin Albert,
or that UFO you swear is right there.
Regardless, have fun!
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So, to write narration, one
just tells of events in the order they occurred, including strong details
about setting, characters and dialogue where appropriate. Sometimes, to make
a story clearer, writers need to refer to an event that happened before the
story they are telling; such an interruption is called a flashback. So, here is a PLAN for
writing narration: ·
1. Choose a
memory that has STRONG SIGNIFICENCE for you, and try to pair it down to one
that can be retold with strong description in three to four pages. ·
2. Jot down a
sequence of events, that involve you or someone
else. ·
3. Decide your
purpose for writing. ·
4. Create
sentences that lay out the action sequence. ·
5. Freewrite strong description about your main characters.
You should be as detailed as you can about them, so the reader can really see
them. ·
6. Use
appropriate quotations from the characters to give a sense of reality -- of
"being there" -- to your tale. ·
7. Link the
sentences together using time-order connecting words. ·
8. If your
story has suspense, save the climax (how it "comes out") until the
very end, if possible. ·
9. Check
sentences, spelling, punctuation, and word quality to finish the narrative. ·
8. Read your
composition aloud to learn how it sounds. Does it satisfy you? ·
9. Revise and
proofread final copy. Reading
a narrative is like watching a motion picture -- the story action unfolds
continuously. Writing narration is like making a movie - you have to decide
what comes next. The key to goo narrative writing
is to SHOW THE READER--JUST DON’T TELL WHAT HAPPENED. Really use strong description to SHOW! Credits: This information
modified and reprinted with permission by Martha and James Reith of Remedia Publications |
So, EXACTLY how do I put together this assignment?:
The point of these narrative paragraphs is to tell
a story which supports your topic sentence about an incident you have
experienced that gave you some point or insight. The stronger the point or
insight, the more interesting it will be to the reader. Do not forget about
using specific details you just learned about in the descriptive paragraph
assignment.
A great topic is often one in which you learned an
important lesson; just be sure you have conflict. Also see the attached page
for a model narrative paragraph. These paragraphs must have a point and tell
a story with conflict, characters, specific details, dialogue, and a closing.
Your paragraphs should be about the same length as the sample (one page), but
it is okay if it is a bit longer.
Narrative Paragraph Structure
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2. Middle: The body of the fist narrative
paragraph and the remainder of the second is written
to support your topic sentence and to tell the story of what happened. Support
your point by telling the reader when and where the incident occurred, who was
involved, what happened (conflict), how it happened, and what those
involved and you said (dialogue) while the incident was happening. Dialogue
makes your story more vivid and exciting (and it is required for this
assignment). Don't forget about specific details! See the sample
paragraph for examples of a narrative body supporting the point and view:
Example:
When/Where: senior year, June 14, at
3. How to
split the paragraphs: When you make a major shift in the scene, or
when one of your characters does something spectacular, start a new paragraph.
Think of it like watching a television program. When the camera cuts away to
focus in on something different, that’s called a different shot. Your
paragraphs do the same thing—they split your writing into different shots as
well. See sample for help.
4. End: The end of the second paragraph –the
last couple sentences--should explain the resolution or what resulted from the
event. Also, it should give the paragraphs a satisfying finish by reflecting on
what you learned from the conflict/incident. See the sample paragraph. Example:
"I decided at that point to become a Tae Kwon Do instructor so I could
train women how to defend themselves against attackers.
"
*A few more suggestions: Double check the sample
paragraph and the "CHECKLIST FOR YOUR NARRATIVE PARAGRAPHS" before
submitting your drafts to me. Also, don't forget to proofread and edit for
effective and correct sentence structures and word choices, and for grammar and
mechanics before you turn in the assignment. Always check your spelling
last!
CHECKLIST
for your memory paragraphs
My name is on the writing.________________ These paragraphs are products of my own work. ________________ My writing is required length.____________ My paragraphs are typewritten and double spaced.______________ My two paragraph writing has a topic sentence which explains my main point for sharing this memory.____ My writing is about a focused topic (a specific memory of a specific important event)._____________________ My writing focuses on a memory dealing with a person/animal, place, object or event.________ My writing approaches the subject from an interesting or original angle. _________________ My paragraphs are heavy with description.____________________ My paragraphs have a beginning, middle and end.__________ My paragraphs contained action.________________ My paragraphs had two or more characters in it.__________ My paragraphs contained dialogue between the characters or a quote.____________ I used my senses to develop the details in this writing.___________________ I did not have any run-ons, comma splices, incomplete sentences adjective or adverb problems or subject/verb agreement errors in this writing ._______________ I did not have any tense shifts in this writing because I stayed in past tense (unless cleared through the instructor first). ________________ I considered my audience, purpose and tone when writing this essay.___________________ Sample
Two-Paragraph Memory:
Scared
Again
Being a
second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, I thought I was beyond being
frightened; however, I learned I have some fear left in me a few years ago when
I spent the first night alone in my new apartment. I became aware of this
weakness one bitterly cold December when I was home by myself for the first time since moving in with Beth; she
was away on a business trip, and I assured her I was not a bit nervous about
being in the big, dark, drafty house all by myself. “Buck up! You
can make it through one night,” I told myself through the pitch black darkness
as I crawled into bed, got comfortable
and began to just drift off. Just as the deep purple waves, surreal voices, and
red ghostly images from my past danced through my mind’s eye, I was pulled back
into slight consciousness by the bedroom door creaking open. I knew I was
alone, so I was a bit alarmed at the sound. However, the light, sweet smell of
Velocity perfume, which immediately filled the room, told me nothing was to
fear. It seemed that Beth had returned
from her trip early, for she loved me so.
So, there I lay and pretended to be asleep while I listened to the memory
of our last conversation echoing in my head. “I’ll be back before you know it
and with a surprise,” her sweet, honey-melon voice whispered in my ear as she
was leaving to