A memorial is a way to freeze an emotion over time and share it with others. If not written down, many details can get lost over time. A memorial makes your experience concrete and gives meaning to your life; after all, your memories are an important journey from which others can learn something and also enjoy it. It can be a gift for your children, your parents, your country or the world. Only you can tell your story, and the lives of others will be enriched by reading it.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Brainstorm Your Perspective
Step 1. Start pruning the memories
A good memorial is not the mere story of your life; is to describe a glimpse of your life, when there has been an important emotion or experience. Try to focus on one period or aspect of your life to get a broader message across. If well written, the aspect or period covered will become universal and a wider audience will be found there. Begin to consider what the material to write about might be.
- Is there something you cannot deny?
- What or who did you leave behind?
- Is there something you have done and you no longer understand why?
- Do you have any regrets?
- Are there any physical characteristics that you are proud to pass on?
- When did you feel unexpected compassion?
- What are you sick of?
- When did you realize you were in trouble?
Step 2. Take out old photos, journals and souvenirs
They will remind you of the experiences you could write about. If possible, go back to the places where you lived and relive the events in your head.
Just because you don't remember right away doesn't mean you shouldn't write something. Autobiographies are works of introspection and you are much more than you appear. You are the places you've been, the people you've loved, and even the things you own
Step 3. Let the emotions flow
The mind now takes a back seat to the heart. And if emotions scare you, they seem to make no sense, are painful or even unbearable, so much the better. Bringing them back to the surface will help you relive the moment and write with passion, knowledge and clarity.
- If the flow of your thoughts touches a nerve, don't raise your defenses. If you stop, the narrative will become trivial and you will find yourself talking about the same things over and over. Take your mind to a place it doesn't want to go. Behind those troublesome thoughts there may be something worth knowing, worth writing about.
- Listen to music that takes you back in time or changes your mood. Anything that stimulates your emotions and allows your mind to recall a given moment can shed light on the past.
Step 4. Try therapy
Not only will it give you that couple of hours a week to mentally organize yourself, but it allows your storytelling to be coherent and creative and not become therapy itself. A memorial is not used to close chapters, but it must be shared with others and expose yourself a little.
It is normal to have the impression of going crazy. Digging into your old emotions could bring them back to life and make them appear real. All you have to do is write them down and let the catharsis settle. You may also find that the story writes itself and the conclusion that never seemed to come is unfolding before your eyes
Method 2 of 3: Create Your Own Masterpiece
Step 1. Be honest
Few are the daughters of a doctor who spent their childhood in Africa treating blind tigers. If your life seems boring on paper, consider it an "additional challenge". You are no more boring than the next 100 people you will meet on the street; you are simply not looking in the right direction. As scary as it may sound, don't lie. Your readers don't deserve it. And neither do you, to be honest.
- When we remember things, we often remember the sensation experienced in the moment of memory rather than in that of the event. You understand? So you don't have to blindly trust your memory - ask other people how things went. You have to be as objective as possible - after all, you are the one who has the pen and its power; do not abuse it.
- It is always nice to read a writer who sharply attacks the hypocrisy and sadness of the world around him, but we trust his opinion more when he attacks himself too, and does not put himself on a higher level, or does not protect himself. from the judgment of others. Be honest about the development of events, but also with yourself.
- If the reader feels that the writer is lying even to himself, or is using the book as propaganda, or is communicating his world view in a way that is too clumsy or transparent, he will feel an aversion to the narrative. As long as it "sounds" honest, that's fine.
Step 2. Go from A to Z
This means having a well-defined and clear beginning and end to your story "before" you even start writing it. If your twin sister stole your Veterinary Barbie on March 14, 1989 and you only met her children in September 2010, you have your story. You just have to fill in the blanks.
Remember: the story is yours. Whatever happened could be as sick as it is interesting if you find it relevant; if you write engagingly, your readers will be overwhelmed and will start cheering for you
Step 3. Validate the facts
After all, a memorial has a basis of reality. Dates, times, names, people, sequences of events, even the smallest detail matters. The last thing you want is for something to come up that discredits you. Maybe you can change the names of people and places to avoid mess, but put a disclaimer at the beginning if you opt for this choice.
Validate what you can validate and imagine what you can imagine. This is where you reinvent who you are. The condition you are in when you recall the memories will affect them to the point of changing them every time you go back in time. So take this gray area of your brain as it is. Your mind exists outside of time
Method 3 of 3: Refine the Job
Step 1. Review your work
Did you say what you meant? You forgot something? Is the storytelling style clear? Is it engaging?
- A good memorial is also entertainment. It doesn't have to be fun, but "something" has to go by. What does the reader get by reading it? Why should he stop thinking about his troubles and worry about yours?
- In addition to looking for content errors, it also checks grammar and spelling errors. The computer does not detect them all. If you have a friend or family member who is particularly good at editing, ask him for help.
Step 2. Delete
Not everything you've written is fine. After taking a break, re-read your work, dissecting it and eliminating unnecessary parts. Take away what is repetitive and redundant.
Not every day of your life is noteworthy. If an event is not part of a transition to a significant period, it makes no sense to mention it. Include only what is useful to the plot without digressing
Step 3. Have a small group of readers read your work
After review, have a group of trusted friends read your memoir for their opinion. You could find a pattern in their comments, and it will be an excellent indication to understand what needs to be changed. Don't be shy and ask for the advice of a professional editor if you feel the need.
- Beware of references to people. Don't hurt anyone by putting them in a bad light (or just ignoring them) and then forcing them to read the book. You will only get a negative reaction.
- Constructive criticism is vital to your work. Sometimes you don't see things that someone else might notice, and that helps you improve your work.
Advice
- A good memorial is vivid - metaphors, similes, descriptions, dialogues and feelings will make it more realistic.
- Be good to yourself. Writing a memorial is a very personal and emotionally demanding journey.
- A memorial should have a beginning, a middle and an end. There should be a problem, a conflict and a resolution.
- A memorial is different from an autobiography because it is a sort of "photograph" of a certain event in a person's life. It looks more like a story. Usually a memorial is written in richer, more conversational language than an autobiography, and includes only relevant information - not all the details of a person's life should be shared.
