Many of us think it would be a great idea to write our biographies. Our friends and family encourage us to write down what we remember and yet we never get around to doing it. These five steps will help you get started and keep going.

Step #1 Set up your Workspace

Writing your biography is work like any other and deserves its own space. You may choose to write it on the computer or in a scrapbook or journal. You will need to clear a desk for this task. You may need to buy a lovely scrapbook or a journal. You will need your laptop, desktop or your favourite pen on your desk. You may also put some fresh flowers on your desk and some lovely items that bring you joy will motivate you. I have two toy yellow VW cars because I find them to be the perfect metaphor for my life, slow and steady.

Step #2 Pick a Daily Time That Works for You

Some people feel more creative in the mornings and some in the evening. Check in with yourself as to what might be a good time of the day for your daily writing practice. Initially, schedule 15 minutes a day. Put it in your diary and show up at the same time at your desk every day.

Step #3 Grab a Cuppa

It may be good to have a coffee or a tea at your desk as it may help the creative juices flow. Or you may choose another beverage. Completely up to you.

Step #4 Go Through Old Photos

If you’re like most people, you will have a huge stack of old photos that want to be looked at and remembered. Start going through some, a few minutes at a time to help you come up with what you can write about.

Step #5 Phone Friends and Relatives

None of us have perfect memories and it may help to ring old friends and family members to hear their side of the stories or help us fill in the blanks. This is for me the best part of writing a biography. It creates a greater connection with our family and community. What if your loved ones are gone? They live within us and simply thinking of them and expressing gratitude for them will bring up memories. It is worth taking the time to connect with them.

If you get stuck, do drop me a line Eda@MyMemoirMaker.com – I have hundreds of prompts I can share with you for free.

Happy writing!