Happy New Year - A Great Time to Start a New Project!!

Jan 1st 2014 - Happy New Year.  What a great time to start to write your story, or the story of a family member or someone you know.  Let's just do it!!!!

Getting started is always a challenge – and I have some suggestion that will help you get going.

Some things to start with:

1.    Get a folder (a simple plastic or manila folder is ok to start with) – though as your journey continues you will probably find a plastic storage box is best. 

2.    Collect photographs.  It maybe that you have to expand your search to other family members to get a great collection.   You need to choose around 20 good ones, but remember, (a) you can post them all on a free blogsite after the story is written and (b) you may need to check copyright on some photos if you wish to use them.

3.    Collect letters – while not many people write letters these day, thre may still be some that have been “saved” by family members

4.    Items of interest – artworks, sewing, etc.

5.    Documents – copies of birth certificates, marriage certificates, school reports etc.

When writing about my mother, I have most of the letters she wrote to me over a 50 year period, though most have very little of great interest.  At least I have her handwriting and often details of family events.  Sadly my mother did not always date them, and I didn’t either when I received them, so they are a “mish mash” but still of value.

There are few photographs of my mother when she was very young – 100 years ago there were not many cameras around, so photos are rare.

I am lucky that my mother was an artist and I have saved all of the china painting that she gave me, and some I retrieved after my father passed away, as well as one of her landscapes.  I also have some of the certificates from competitions for floral art and cake decorating.

Also I am fortunate that she started to write her own story some 30 years ago and for a while we both worked on it together. 

It is also worth writing to people who knew the subject of your story. In my mother’s case, she has outlived all her siblings, however, many of my cousins have information that might be helpful.   In fact shortly I will be writing to them seeking information.  I have a plan which I will share in a future post.

 

My mother - Ida Joyce Watson (nee Ragless) - photo taken around 1942.

 

Why I Like to Write about People.

In 1963 I started my nursing training in Mount Gambier, in the south east of South Australia.  I had decided on the spur of  the moment to be a nurse - I had wanted to be a teacher, but "getting a job" seemed to be more important than anything else, so I had a few jobs and was in fact working for a doctor when I decided suddenly to be a student nurse.

It was an amazing three years and three months - so much growing up to do, so much learning, so much fun.  It was the time that something happened that impacted so much on me - a conversation with an elderly lady who was infamous within the hospital for throwing her faeces around the room around 4 pm each day! 

But it was another story about her that fascinated me - she claimed to have been a prostitute and named someone rather famous who had been one of her clients.  I was naïve and shocked and at the same time fascinated.  As we talked (and I didn't have to dodge flying poo on this occasion, she told me more of her story, which I confess I have scant recollection about now - some fifty plus years later.

I do recall saying to her - someone should write your story.  I was fascinated.  Sadly I don't think anyone did - but it was the first time that I recall being interested in life stories.  Many years later it is something that I am passionate about and intend to spend the next few years of my life inspiring others to write,  and to tell their story.

And so, as the year 2014 I look forward to promoting my business - The Official Biographer. 

When I talk with folk about writing their life story I get a number of reactions - often it is "My story?  I have had a boring life"  or "No one would be interested in reading my story" or "It is too hard."  Believe me, most people do have some interesting stories to tell - and if nothing else it could be a record for their children, or their grandchildren or whoever follows.

I like to help people write their own stories - or I am happy to do it for them for a fee.  But I like to talk first about "mini- biographies" - somewhere between 5000 and 10000 words to start.  That seems manageable.  For them and for me.

So, this blog is to record not their stories, though, with permission I may include some short pieces, but to encourage folk to start the process for themselves.