it very easy when all are finished to place episodes in a logical order.

Use an outline before you start writing. Key ideas normally become topics for each paragraph. You could use a balloon outline, which would be a chain of balloon ideas in order of sequence. Or you could use a Mind MapTM outline. Sometimes called “spokes of a wheel”, you put the central idea in the

Set up a time and place to write, uninterrupted. A pen and an old desk, or a PC with office chair and a printer, it really doesn’t matter.

Keep a writing record: list the date, your subject and hours spent writing. Monitoring your progress will help motivate you.

Set yourself a deadline. A reasonable timeline and date to finish your memoir will keep you on track. Some take 2 months, some take a year. It will all depend on your daily progress and the length of your memoir.

Link your life story to the history of that era. It makes for interesting reading, and also brings up more “real” images of that time. You can look up old newspapers to jog your memory of politicians, social and sporting events, and wars of that time.

Use your feelings to add meaning and depth to your story; do not deny how you were feeling at the time. Your philosophies and values should filter through if you write with your beliefs and attitudes.

Don’t be afraid to use the personal pronoun “I”. It’s your story after all.

Tell about the bad things as well as the good things, otherwise your memoir won’t have that ring of truth to it. Tales of our mistakes can prove a powerful warning to younger family members, much more than just saying a clich?.

Write episodes of your life that can stand alone. For example, you might write one on your memories of a favourite grandmother; you might write another on the first house you bought; and one on meeting your spouse. This will make it very easy when all are finished to place episodes in a logical order.

Use an outline before you start writing. Key ideas normally become topics for each paragraph. You could use a balloon outline, which would be a chain of balloon ideas in order of sequence. Or you could use a Mind MapTM outline. Sometimes called “spokes of a wheel”, you put the central idea in the

k. Some take 2 months, some take a year. It will all depend on your daily progress and the length of your memoir.

Link your life story to the history of that era. It makes for interesting reading, and also brings up more “real” images of that time. You can look up old newspapers to jog your memory of politicians, social and sporting events, and wars of that time.

Use your feelings to add meaning and depth to your story; do not deny how you were feeling at the time. Your philosophies and values should filter through if you write with your beliefs and attitudes.

Don’t be afraid to use the personal pronoun “I”. It’s your story after all.

Tell about the bad things as well as the good things, otherwise your memoir won’t have that ring of truth to it. Tales of our mistakes can prove a powerful warning to younger family members, much more than just saying a clich?.

Write episodes of your life that can stand alone. For example, you might write one on your memories of a favourite grandmother; you might write another on the first house you bought; and one on meeting your spouse. This will make it very easy when all are finished to place episodes in a logical order.

Use an outline before you start writing. Key ideas normally become topics for each paragraph. You could use a balloon outline, which would be a chain of balloon ideas in order of sequence. Or you could use a Mind MapTM outline. Sometimes called “spokes of a wheel”, you put the central idea in the

>Use your feelings to add meaning and depth to your story; do not deny how you were feeling at the time. Your philosophies and values should filter through if you write with your beliefs and attitudes.

Don’t be afraid to use the personal pronoun “I”. It’s your story after all.

Tell about the bad things as well as the good things, otherwise your memoir won’t have that ring of truth to it. Tales of our mistakes can prove a powerful warning to younger family members, much more than just saying a clich?.

Write episodes of your life that can stand alone. For example, you might write one on your memories of a favourite grandmother; you might write another on the first house you bought; and one on meeting your spouse. This will make it very easy when all are finished to place episodes in a logical order.

Use an outline before you start writing. Key ideas normally become topics for each paragraph. You could use a balloon outline, which would be a chain of balloon ideas in order of sequence. Or you could use a Mind MapTM outline. Sometimes called “spokes of a wheel”, you put the central idea in the

that ring of truth to it. Tales of our mistakes can prove a powerful warning to younger family members, much more than just saying a clich?.

Write episodes of your life that can stand alone. For example, you might write one on your memories of a favourite grandmother; you might write another on the first house you bought; and one on meeting your spouse. This will make it very easy when all are finished to place episodes in a logical order.

Use an outline before you start writing. Key ideas normally become topics for each paragraph. You could use a balloon outline, which would be a chain of balloon ideas in order of sequence. Or you could use a Mind MapTM outline. Sometimes called “spokes of a wheel”, you put the central idea in the

it very easy when all are finished to place episodes in a logical order.

Use an outline before you start writing. Key ideas normally become topics for each paragraph. You could use a balloon outline, which would be a chain of balloon ideas in order of sequence. Or you could use a Mind MapTM outline. Sometimes called “spokes of a wheel”, you put the central idea in the middle and spokes with topics coming out from that. In a Mind Map, you list a key word on the spokes, and any sub-topics that you think of spring off the main spokes. This will stimulate your memory as we tend to link topics in our mind.

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence. This lets the reader know where the paragraph is going. If you think you’ve strayed, look back to the first sentence: are you still talking about what you hinted at, or summarised, at the start?

Write a Title for your episode and use it to keep on track. To guard against rambling across topics, at the start give each episode a specific title even if you change it later on. The title should intrigue, perhaps through use of melodrama, humour, asking a question, or a striking statement. Ask yourself “what am I trying to put across here?”