November 15 is I Love to Write Day. It’s a day to celebrate the love of writing by writing. You can a poem or an essay, a letter or a blog post, a journal entry or a chapter of a book—or whatever it is that you love to write!
Maybe you want a family history or a personal memoir. November is both Family Stories Month and National Life Writing Month.
During Family Stories Month, you are encouraged to share your family stories. Tell stories about yourself and your ancestors to your kids and grandkids. Remind siblings of shared memories to pass down to future generations. Spend time talking as a family and sharing favorite memories. Or start to write your memoir or family history.
National Life Writing Month is designed for you to get your memoir started—maybe even finished—quickly. But you don’t have to write fast. You can use this month as a motivation to get started. Take your time and write at your own pace.
I’m a firm believer that everyone should leave a legacy for future generations. I helped my mother and my mother-in-law tell their stories. I compiled their stories into loose-leaf notebooks for family members. Although the audience is small, their stories are treasured by children, grandchildren, and later generations. Your story doesn’t have to be published to be valuable.
If you would like to write a memoir or family history but don’t know where to start, download my free ebook—Preserving Memories: How to Write a Family History. Whether you’re seeking to publish a book or simply to share memories with family members and friends, this guide will help you tell your story.
And I’ve taken my own advice. In addition to the stories I’ve shared in this blog, I have told my personal and family stories in two books: Jack Stories, a collection of anecdotes about my husband as told by loved ones, and Finding God in the Everyday, a Christian devotional filled with stories of my own life, which will be available very soon.
I love working with authors to tell their family stories. I can advise you, edit you work, and help you through the process—whether you plan to self-publish a paperback book or simply collect stories in a binder for your family. Preserve those precious memories!