Writing your own story can be like scaling a mountain. It takes a lot of effort. Lots and lots. Along the way there will be times when you chug along; times when you sweat it out; and moments when the peak seems so far off in the distance that giving up seems more than reasonable. (My attempt scaling Mount Aspiring in NZ springs to mind.) Here’s some ideas to get you going — writing not mountaineering.
Thinking about the following questions before you depart, might be one way to ensure you make it to the mountain top. (Or help you figure out, before expending loads of energy, that it’s not for you.)
If you’re thinking of embarking on that journey — of autobiography, biography or memoir — here’s some questions that might help.
1) Do you really want to do this?
2) Why do you really want to do this?
3) Who is your audience; who are you writing for?
4) Which voice do you want this written in?
5) Am I happy to do this even if it’s not a best seller? Or published by a major publishing house? Or I have to self-publish?
6) If I could only tell six stories/scenarios/scenes or reflectionss, which ones would they be?
7) Why do those six stories/scenarios/scenes or reflections stand out? Are they linked?
ps It’s quite normal to change your answers as you venture along the writing track.
I hope this helps.
Remember, nearly every book, whether for the family or the wider world, starts as an idea and a blank page!
