The "Low-hanging Fruit" Method of Successful
Autobiographical Writing
Summary: Have you repeatedly started writing a memoir or personal history, but you can't ever seem to get past the first few pages? Tip: You don't have to write your stories in the order that they happened. In fact, it's easier not to. (Picture from Shuttterstocl) By Tom and Alison Taylor for the Deseret News Tuesday, Jan. 19 2016
Have you repeatedly started writing a personal history, but you can't ever seem to get past the first few pages?
Getting hung up near the beginning is extremely common. (Our clients often bring us snippets of a parent's unfinished life history, wanting help to complete the story now that the parent has passed away. These life accounts often begin with . . .
Have you repeatedly started writing a personal history, but you can't ever seem to get past the first few pages?
Getting hung up near the beginning is extremely common. (Our clients often bring us snippets of a parent's unfinished life history, wanting help to complete the story now that the parent has passed away. These life accounts often begin with . . .
an account of the parent's parents, and typically end at about age 10.)
Here's part of the reason why projects get hung up:
People are trying to write in chronological order.
There is nothing wrong with a chronological life account. But even if the finished account will be chronological, you don't have to write your stories in the order that they happened. In fact, it's much easier not to. Why, you ask?
Think about it: The very beginning of your life (your birth, your early childhood, your parents' background) is the hardest part to write or talk about because it is the hardest for you to remember. (Or your recollections are actually someone else’s recollections, which may or may not have any basis in reality.)
Research is required, which slows your progress. By the time your account gets to the second grade, you are burned out and too discouraged to continue.
We suggest using what we call the "low-hanging fruit" method. Here are a few ideas on how to start.
Here's part of the reason why projects get hung up:
People are trying to write in chronological order.
There is nothing wrong with a chronological life account. But even if the finished account will be chronological, you don't have to write your stories in the order that they happened. In fact, it's much easier not to. Why, you ask?
Think about it: The very beginning of your life (your birth, your early childhood, your parents' background) is the hardest part to write or talk about because it is the hardest for you to remember. (Or your recollections are actually someone else’s recollections, which may or may not have any basis in reality.)
Research is required, which slows your progress. By the time your account gets to the second grade, you are burned out and too discouraged to continue.
We suggest using what we call the "low-hanging fruit" method. Here are a few ideas on how to start.
1. First, create a life timeline. This is a place to gather story ideas as they come to you. It could be a large chart, or a binder divided by years, or an Evernote folder (my personal favorite). Your timeline will be a consistent catch-all in which to capture those ideas. Memories dance in (and out) of our heads at random intervals. So when one comes to you, grab it. Jot down a few short words in the appropriate place along your timeline that will later jog your memory.
Once your timeline is in place, continue to brainstorm to gather as many story ideas as you can. Then you'll have plenty to choose from for the next step.
2. Story triage. After you have a significant amount of memories stored on your timeline, you will begin to deliberately choose which stories are the most important for you to tell. If you purposefully and prayerfully consider (before starting) which stories are the most meaningful to you and why, your account will be more entertaining and inspirational to your readers. And isn’t that why you are doing this in the first place?
3. Start with the low-hanging fruit. Pick the easiest story to write, no matter where it falls on your timeline, and start there.
Look over your chosen story ideas and find the one that feels like it would be the most fun to write or tell. Perhaps it’s the funniest story, or the most recent one about which you have the clearest memories, or the one you’ve told most often at family parties.
What jumps out at you, begging, “Me first"? It could be the most urgent story.
Or the one that feels like putting on your favorite and most comfortable pair of shoes. Start there.
Then after you've written that story, put it aside and go on to the next easiest story. Don't worry about connecting them now; you can later put them in order and create transitions to smooth the narrative.
The magic of the low-hanging fruit method:
Tom and Alison Taylor have helped hundreds of people, businesses, and towns tell their stories in books and video. They are authors of the book “How to Save Your Life, One Chapter at a Time.” Contact us or see our blog at picturesandstories.co
Editor's note: This article has been previously published on the authors' web
2. Story triage. After you have a significant amount of memories stored on your timeline, you will begin to deliberately choose which stories are the most important for you to tell. If you purposefully and prayerfully consider (before starting) which stories are the most meaningful to you and why, your account will be more entertaining and inspirational to your readers. And isn’t that why you are doing this in the first place?
3. Start with the low-hanging fruit. Pick the easiest story to write, no matter where it falls on your timeline, and start there.
Look over your chosen story ideas and find the one that feels like it would be the most fun to write or tell. Perhaps it’s the funniest story, or the most recent one about which you have the clearest memories, or the one you’ve told most often at family parties.
What jumps out at you, begging, “Me first"? It could be the most urgent story.
Or the one that feels like putting on your favorite and most comfortable pair of shoes. Start there.
Then after you've written that story, put it aside and go on to the next easiest story. Don't worry about connecting them now; you can later put them in order and create transitions to smooth the narrative.
The magic of the low-hanging fruit method:
- You overcome resistance and procrastination by starting with something fun.
- You develop confidence and skill as you go along, giving you more tools later to tackle the harder parts.
- You will have more of your project completed before getting to a stuck point. (Every kind of large project — from building a house to losing weight — has a "plateau" phase, and writing a life history is no different.) But the more you have actually accomplished before hitting the plateau, the better you'll be able to move past it.
Tom and Alison Taylor have helped hundreds of people, businesses, and towns tell their stories in books and video. They are authors of the book “How to Save Your Life, One Chapter at a Time.” Contact us or see our blog at picturesandstories.co
Editor's note: This article has been previously published on the authors' web
