Mary Anne Benedetto Writing Life: Your Life Story Matters-Your Questions Answered!

Your Life Story Matters!

Memoir Writing Instructor Answers Your Questions

Every life is made up of stories—some are deliriously happy tales, others are devastatingly sad, and our life experiences represent every imaginable kind of emotion in between. We all have family history and life stories, and the sad truth is that if we don’t preserve them, they are permanently gone. There is no rewind. There is no going back to capture them.

Follow this series of Questions & Answers over the next few months! Learn more about memoir writing, pick up your pen or grab your keyboard, and produce a written legacy for loved ones. Participate by emailing your memoir writing questions to info@awriterspresence.com.

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Q1. How do I know that my family would read my story if I took the time and effort to write it? Will they even care?

A1. Although I always say that we are preserving our stories for future generations, there are no guarantees that when you hand a copy of your memoirs over to loved ones, they will be leaping for joy.

I remember many years ago when I was in my thirties, my dad’s sister, Ruth, wrote several pages of family history. I was given a copy of her compilation, read it with vague interest, promptly placed it in a large envelope, and tucked it away for safe keeping.

It was not until I was in my fifties that I finally understood the full impact of being in possession of the stories she had written and the information they contained. Years later, the family history that she shared is my treasure. I finally appreciated the time and effort it took for her to provide some of the details and stories that I would never have known had she not undertaken this project on an old manual typewriter.

Do not be discouraged if family members initially appear to be less than enthusiastic about the stories you choose to write regarding your life experiences and family history. Some day down the road, they will so greatly value being able to review the highlights of your life, the incidents that you considered important enough to include, and an introduction to ancestors with whom they were perhaps never acquainted.

Your stories are a priceless legacy. Begin your memoir writing project today!

Mary Anne Benedetto is the owner of A Writer’s Presence, LLC, a writer, speaker, blogger, Certified Lifewriting Instructor, and an affiliate teacher with the The Memoir Network. Author of 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing: Build a Priceless Legacy One Story at a Time!, she offers beneficial tips, hints and critical steps in memoir writing in order to remove the “overwhelmed” factor in memoir projects. Book available on Amazon, Kindle and Nook.