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by: LeAnn R. Ralph
Remember the time that you got into 'big trouble' when you were a kid because.
. .?
Or what about the time that your little sister. . .?
Or how about the time that your mom was making. . .and burned
the. . .?
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You probably have hundreds of these stories tucked away in
your memory. Perhaps you've even thought that someday you would like to write
about them. There's only one problem. "I don't know where to start —
I wouldn't know what to write," you think to yourself.
One simple technique that will help you recall those stories
and put them into written form is called "clustering," which is featured
in a book titled Writing the Natural Way by Gabriele Lusser Rico (copyright
1983; J.P. Tarcher, Inc.)
Whether you are aiming for publication or whether you just
want to write down your stories for your children and grandchildren isn't important.
The technique will help you to recall your life stories.
Materials needed: several sheets of paper; a pen or a pencil.
1. Find a comfortable place that's quiet where you can work for 15 to 30 minutes
without being interrupted (kitchen table; desk in your office; easy chair in
your living room).
2. Think of a subject that is meaningful for you, such as Christmas,
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, Easter, New Year's
Day. Other possibilities include birthdays, a beloved pet, a best friend, an
older brother or sister, a younger brother or sister, a cousin, grandmother,
grandfather, your mom or dad, a neighbor who was like a mother/father/grandmother/grandfather.
Additional possibilities could include an enjoyable hobby, such as growing flowers,
vegetable gardening, baking cookies, baking cakes, making candy, or sewing.
3. Write the subject that you have selected in the center of
one of the sheets of paper and then circle it.
4. Draw a line with an arrow from your central word. Put it
wherever it feels "right" to you. Up or down. Left or right. At an
angle. Fill in the point of the arrow. Filling in the arrow will give your brain
a few seconds to make the connection to the next word or phrase associated with
your subject. The basis of the whole exercise is to allow your left brain and
right brain to work together (to coordinate the analytical and the creative).
5. Draw another circle and write down the word or phrase inside
the circle that has popped into your mind.
6. Repeat the steps of drawing arrows and circles and writing
down the words or phrases that come to mind.
7. At some point in the exercise, you will suddenly think of
an introductory sentence and you will feel a STRONG urge to start writing. Do
not ignore the urge. Take another sheet of paper and start writing immediately.
Do not try to edit what you are writing. Do not try to over-think what you are
writing. Let yourself write what comes to mind.
8. Write for as long as the words keep coming.
9. When you feel that you have nothing more to say on the subject,
put down your pen or pencil and relax for a few moments, then read what you
have written. Whether it's one paragraph, a whole page, or several pages —
congratulations! You have just written the first of your life stories!
10. Set your story aside for an hour or two or even a day or
two. When you read it again, you may find that you have remembered more details
that you would like to add. If so, go ahead and add them. If not, and you are
satisfied with the piece, that's fine, too.
This exercise can be repeated for virtually any subject. You can also use it
to help flesh out parts of your story to add more detail. Focus on a key word
for a certain section of the story and see where the clustering technique takes
you.
This exercise can be repeated for virtually any subject. You
can also use it to help flesh out parts of your story to add more detail. Focus
on a key word for a certain section of the story and see where the clustering
technique takes you.
Copyright LeAnn R. Ralph 2004
Other articles you may find interesting:
What
Inspires You?
Family
History Information
How
To Make Your Dreams Come True
LeAnn R. Ralph is an expert at writing her life stories.
She is the author of the books "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories
from a Wisconsin Farm)" (July 2003) and "Give Me a Home Where the
Dairy Cows Roam" (October 2004). "Highly recommended reading…"
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief/Midwest Book Review. You are invited to read
sample chapters and to sign up for the FREE! monthly newsletter from Rural
Route 2.
Visit http://ruralroute2.com. bigpines@ruralroute2.com
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