Notebook Categories
Since one rarely writes a memoir straight through from Birth to Now, it is important to develop a scheme, a set of labeled folders, for filing stories and fragments as you write them. That's what the binder is about. You can change your labeling system later; in fact you probably will. But right now, as you start out, you need to establish a system, be it chronology or thematic or some combination of the two. The easiest way to start is probably simple chronology. Note the difference here from the Memory Bank Headings, which are derived from how the memory works rather than the shape of your final product.
Chronological labels
Label dividers by decade or some other regular period of years. You'll quickly find that strict chronology is difficult to hold, so be flexible with yourself and expect stories to blur at the boundaries.
Decades: Start with your birth year ten. For example 1939-1949; 1949-1959; 1959-1969 . . .
Five year periods also make sense: 1939-1944; 1944-1949 . . .
Or choose descriptive titles for time periods. These labels are a bit looser and hence more comfortable for many people, while still preserving that sense of chronology.
Thematic labels
You might decide to label according to crosscutting themes in your life, or general non-chronological topics you want to write about. Some examples are:
Combos. Choose some of each. The point is to start with a dozen or so large categories from your life that make sense to you remembering that you can always re-label and re-organize as you find the path you want to take. It's difficult when you start your memoirs to know everything you will remember, or where you are going. Nobody does. Memoir writing is a process of discovery and making meaning. That's why people find it both fun and satisfying.
Chronological labels
Label dividers by decade or some other regular period of years. You'll quickly find that strict chronology is difficult to hold, so be flexible with yourself and expect stories to blur at the boundaries.
Decades: Start with your birth year ten. For example 1939-1949; 1949-1959; 1959-1969 . . .
Five year periods also make sense: 1939-1944; 1944-1949 . . .
Or choose descriptive titles for time periods. These labels are a bit looser and hence more comfortable for many people, while still preserving that sense of chronology.
- Roots
- Early years (pre-school)
- Elementary School years
- High School
- College
- Courtship, Marriage, Kids
- Coming to America
- Dealing with Paul's Death
- Career change
- Retirement
Thematic labels
You might decide to label according to crosscutting themes in your life, or general non-chronological topics you want to write about. Some examples are:
- Relationships--the good, the bad, and the ugly
- Organization's I've belonged to
- Travels
- My Life in the Theater, or My Life in Science
- Gainful employment
- Humorous happenings
- Spiritual matters
- Dreams of the future
- My education
Combos. Choose some of each. The point is to start with a dozen or so large categories from your life that make sense to you remembering that you can always re-label and re-organize as you find the path you want to take. It's difficult when you start your memoirs to know everything you will remember, or where you are going. Nobody does. Memoir writing is a process of discovery and making meaning. That's why people find it both fun and satisfying.