Your Words, Your Life Story

The book evolved because of my passion to encourage folks to tell their life stories. I led workshops at adult education classes, campgrounds and women’s retreats. The best part was not the teaching, but the times when participants read their stories to the group – some so funny we laughed at the experience, and others so poignant we had tears in our eyes. And these pieces were written by ordinary people living ordinary lives.

Here is an excerpt from Your Words, Your Life Story

Autobiography, Life Story or Memoir?

You may choose to write a chronological diary with only names, relationships, dates, and places.

An autobiography is a self-written timeline of your life. This life story covers your entire life including your childhood to the present and it is all about you. The chapters can be separate vignettes of your life unrelated to each other, e.g. including the favorite stories in your life–an entertaining tale about a family Christmas you remember, a place where you lived, and the story about your grandma teaching you how to bake chocolate chip cookies. And yes, include the story of how you had to walk uphill to school and all the way home!!!

A memoir is a more intimate record of your life revealing true feelings. It covers only a slice of your life and concentrates on one theme such as overcoming an illness, discussing your career(s) or taking readers on your travel adventures. I am writing a memoir about the first year my husband and I opened our flower shop and greenhouse business.

If you think of your entire life as a delightfully delicious chocolate cake, a memoir is a mouthwatering piece of that cake.

YOU are the author of your own story. Therefore, you must tell the truth when you decide to record it. Otherwise, why bother?

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Here is the blurb to Your Words, Your Life Story

Your Words, Your Life Story: A Journal for Sharing Memories by J.Q. Rose is a journal and a guide for capturing the moments that impacted your life–the happy, sad, funny and crazy times that shaped a generation. Family and friends want to relive your experience through your words.

Not into writing? Discover audio and video programs to bring your authentic voice to listeners.

Silly questions that have nothing to do with your life are not in the book. Instead, the guide prompts you to remember details to develop a rich tapestry to share in single vignettes or in a collection. Take the opportunity to tell the familiar stories you have told around the family table, then organize and keep them just for your family and/or publish them.

Your Words, Your Life Story will help ignite and share your memories.

Preserving the experiences of the past for future generations is important. As they peruse the stories, they will wonder how you lived without a TV, a computer or microwave. The story of your life, the struggles, the joys, the accomplishments will be what the next generations understand. Your account will be a guide to help them through their own lives.

Start now to put together the vignettes that make up your life story and create a treasured family keepsake.

The workshops presented by J.Q. Rose have inspired students to tell their stories and realize how rich and full their lives have been.

Amazon buy link

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Thanks so much for dropping in to share your project with us, J.Q. You must hear some fascinating stories in your workshops. I hope your journal inspires many people to write their stories down.

Do you have a story to tell? Have your grandparents or great-grandparents ever written down their stories? If you have any experiences to share, we’d love to hear from you!