Everyone has a Story to Tell

Ever wanted to tell your story, but just didn't know where to begin? Maybe your story is inspiring, tragic, purposeful, or full of information. Maybe you have to tell this story because if you didn't, the release and deliverance that God has for you just can't be brought to fruition. The pain and emotions from your past has weighed you down. Are you with me? I understand everyone of these situations because I, at one time, was there.

So how do you start to put pen to paper and let the words flow from you heart? I'm going to share I few tid bits in the coming weeks on how to write your personal memoir. These short techniques that I'll share have been proven to help me when I wrote my memoir, The Life of a Lily.

By the way, if you are in the Las Vegas area June 18th-19th, come out to the Black Writers Reunion Conference, www.blackwriters.org at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino. Along with some of the information that I'll share with you in the coming blog posts,(there's many more where this came from), I will also be presenting on Writing Children's Books for Today's Youth.

Ok, Let's start.

Memoir-(def.) memorandum; autobiography; an account of something noteworthy. (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, copyright 2004).

My definition: a collection of true, personal life experiences that an author uses to tell a story, and/or inform an audience for the purpose of entertainment, inspiration, and reflection.

1. Start with the right surroundings.

It's kind of hard to get into your zone of writing without having the right atmosphere around you. The best time for writing for me is at night, when it's quiet, my child is in bed, and it's just me and God. I make sure I keep a pen and pad next to my bed at all times, and have awaken a time or two to jot things down from my dreams, from my subconscious mind (I know that's weird) but I have been known to wake up and some things from my past have resurfaced in my dreams. God brings things to you for a reason, especially if you realize that it happens more than once. Some people call it deja vu. I don't. God gives us unctions in the Holy Spirit. Take heed to them.

Now you want to make sure to have the most comfortable writing experience. How? Try to work in an area with the right lighting (desk lamp, or full-fledge natural lighting), and a desk or table that you always go to to write. Let that be your writer's workshop, so to speak. Get yourself something to drink, like coffee or tea, turn down any music or TV; as a matter of fact, turn it off. You want to make sure you are free from distractions and your creative juices can begin to flow. Make sure the chair that you are sitting in has the proper height for your posture but also to be able to sit properly with your computer or laptop. Working while sitting up in your bed will not be the best way to write, because you can become too comfortable and maybe fall asleep. I know many writers that do not feel that their homes are conducive to writing in. So they may go to a coffee shop, library, or other space where there's noise, chatter, or anything with stimulation. So really to each his/her own. Do what's most comfortable for you.

Just having the right surroundings will make you free to think and ready to write. Next time we will discuss how to research your life to find stories, and past memories for your memoir.

Blessings!