Whenever I tell someone I help people write their life stories and family histories, they always say:
“That’s so interesting. How did you end up doing that?”
This video details my journey from starting to write for a newspaper at fourteen years old to giving up writing altogether to coming back to it in a new and different way years later.
I’ve ghostwritten, edited, published, and taught life story writing for the last twenty-two years.
There’s no work that would give me the joy, satisfaction, and sense of purpose I live every day. Thank you for being a part of my world.
I love the work, but best of all, I feel like I may have played a small part in helping people write, gain insight, increase connections with loved ones, and leave a legacy.
Tell us about what prompted you to write your life stories.
If you liked what you just watched, sign up to be notified of future vlog posts and upcoming events. Use the buttons below to share this episode on social media or with a friend who might enjoy it.
Remember always: The only way to do this wrong is to not do it at all!
Until next time, happy writing!
I’ve tried writing most of my life. I was often writing about the people and places where we lived. Telling friends about my travels, I was encouraged to write a book to share with others. My next-door neighbor in Denver took me to a writer’s conference in Colo. Springs, where she encouraged me to “pitch” my book or the idea of my book. So I did, and two agents were interested in it. Granted, that was over ten years ago, so I started looking for classes online during the pandemic and joined a couple – but Patricia’s lessons seemed to… Read more »
I’ve always written random things here and there. Writing about things from my life was one of the projects on my to-do list, but mistakenly thought that meant autobiography, which was drudgery when I tried to begin it. Thankfully I came across an advertisement for one of Patricia’s online writing events that focused on writing short stories and sharing them. That segued into memoir writing and writing the infamous “little s” stories Patricia has encouraged us to produce…and why wouldn’t we when the only way to do it wrong is to not do it?
That’s great, Lisa Marie. I love giving people permission to write and letting them know it doesn’t have to be done in any particular way. Your writing is wonderful, and we’ve all been blessed by your stories. Keep ’em coming.
Thank you. 🙂
What made me decide to write my life stories? My granddaughter. It was about twenty years ago, Olivia was living with me and was about six years old. One evening at the dinner table she, in all innocence, turned to me and said, “Grammy, when you were a little girl did you ever see a dinosaur?” That innocent question started me thinking about leaving a written record for my descendants of what life was like as I was growing up. It was a few years before I had the opportunity to learn about how to write my life story and… Read more »
How cute is that question? Even if your story doesn’t include dinosaurs, it’s a great one, Lou. I’m so glad you’ve stayed faithful to your writing.
You ask how I began writing. I was eleven when my mother appeared at my Aunt Evie’s door in Wisconsin and demanded I be returned to her in Illinois. Somewhere around the age of seven, my mother’s cult church put me in hiding within the church compound. For several reasons. To punish my father that would not support this cult, financially or verbally. And because the church leader chose me to be the one to marry her son when I turned eighteen. I was to remain, as she would say, purely for her son. This meant no outside socializing, no… Read more »
What a wise woman to recognize the eleven years you lived needed to be written, and how amazing is it that you remembered her words and have been acting on them. She would be so proud of you.
I’ve told stories at gatherings for as long as I remember. I don’t know how many times people have told me, “YOU OUGHTA WRITE A BOOK.” Never really gave it a thought until my daughter came home from pickleball about two years ago. Her partner was writing his memoir and told her about the classes offered at The Villages. She hounded me about it until I decided to go to the Enrichment Academy catalogue. The ride I’ve been on for the last eighteen months has been truly invigorating. I have not looked back in my association with my LifeWriters family.… Read more »
Yes, son. I’ll be your writing mother. I’m so glad you listened to your daughter and gave writing a shot. I can’t imagine what Life Writers would be like without you.