The blank page—humanity’s oldest staring contest. You sit down to write your story, and suddenly your fascinating, funny, hard-won life flattens into: “I was born in…” and then nothing. Sound familiar? You are not alone, and you are definitely not boring. You just need better questions than “tell me about yourself.”
Storytelling is how we make sense of our lives, our story, our own becoming.
We learn to know ourselves and our past better by gifting ourselves with the mental and emotional space and time to reflect.
Below are a dozen ideas to help you begin (notice the “who, what, when, where” type structure; it works! (If you prefer to watch a video, here’s a link to a fun, project-based class using this technique: Tools and Techniques to Quick Start a Memoir). Print them out. Grab a journal. Pour yourself a favorite beverage. Then start wherever feels most alive.
- What’s a smell that instantly drops you back into childhood?
- Who is someone who saw something in you before you saw it in yourself?
- What’s the most trouble you ever got into, and would you do it again?
- Describe a moment you were completely, embarrassingly wrong about something.
- What’s a decision that looked small at the time but changed everything?
- Who taught you how to work hard—and how do you know?
- What did you believe at twenty that you don’t believe now?
- Tell me about a place you miss that no longer exists, or exists only in memory.
- What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done that nobody clapped for?
- When did you first feel like a grown-up, and were you right?
- What’s a piece of advice you ignored, and what happened?
- If your younger self could see you now, what would surprise them most?
Take these and sit with yourself for twenty quiet minutes. There’s never pressure to write anything polished when you journal, just answer one question out loud or on paper and see what shakes loose from your memory bank. Or, to get to know someone you love better, ask them one of these questions and just listen. Listen with your heart. Half of storytelling is remembering you already know the good parts.
Wise words:
We do not remember days, we remember moments. ~ Cesare Pavese
And a little perspective, from someone who knew a thing or two about reinvention:
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. ~ Maya Angelou
Your story doesn’t need permission, a perfect opening line, or a tidy ending. It just needs you to start.
I’m all about helping you draw that story out of your heart and head. You don’t have to do this alone. Try grabbing one or two of the resources below to help you (They’re both available on Amazon). Bonus points if you do this with a buddy!
