There are so many reasons. Let’s look at a few.
You’ve overcome a traumatic experience.
You’ve made peace with a difficult relationship. (Mom memoirs are very big.)
You’ve dealt with a health or life-threatening issue.
You’ve had an amazing pet. (Seriously. We love to celebrate our incredible animals.)
You’ve done something exciting, dangerous, exotic in your life.
You’ve rebooted your life and begun again. And maybe again and again.
You’ve overcome addiction.
You’ve had an enlightening spiritual experience.
You’ve traveled or lived in an interesting place.
You’ve taken care of a special child or other relative.
Ok, I’m stopping there because ten is a round number, but there are plenty more.
Now, why should anyone give two cents for your story? Here’s why.
They’ve also had a traumatic experience and are looking for ways to heal.
They also have a difficult relationship.
They also have/have had a health issue—it doesn’t have to be the same one as yours.
People love pets.
We love to read about exciting adventures from our safe recliners.
We dream of beginning again.
A lot of us have an addiction.
A lot of us long for spiritual enlightenment.
A lot of us dream of traveling or living in an interesting place, or we just like to read about them from our recliners.
A lot of us are caregivers.
Those who know me know this is my passion: the power of the individual story—yours, mine. The Village Writing School is build on this foundational tenet: your story matters. We want to help you learn to tell it in the most readable, publishable way.
My own stories are historical novels in which some important theme plays out in the life of a fictional character. I always said that I had no interest in writing a memoir of my own. I don’t want to slog through all that again. Once was enough.
But now I’m changing my mind. Now I AM considering writing a memoir after so many friends suggested I do it.
I remember all the great memoir instructors who have taught for the VWS over the last five years. I always listened carefully so that I could help my students find their arc, their inciting incident, their theme, etc. Now here I am, facing all that for myself, and I feel like a kid on the first day of school. Excited but wary.
I bet I’m not the only one.
Eighty percent of Americans say they have a story to tell, and the majority of those stories are personal stories. Since this newsletter goes primarily to readers and writers, the figure for you all is probably even higher.
We read to experience other lives, and when those other lives have points that intersect with our own lives or dreams, then we are hooked. Find what is important to you that also strikes a universal chord. Then, all you have to do is tell a good story.
But, how do we begin? Well, I’m not supposed to announce this yet, so I’m not. (Hint: it’s in October.) But the Village Writing School is going to help those of us who want to tell our personal stories and don’t know exactly where to start. And that includes me.
Finding our stories . . . and ourselves.
Alison
P.S. Which items in the first list above would you write about if you were going to write about your life?