Every family has a history embodied in stories shared at family gatherings or around the dinner table. Examine how to preserve those stories in a family history book.
Preserve the ethical, cultural or spiritual values which have guided your life. Share the wisdom gained over the course of a lifetime. Learn how to pass your values on to the next generation by creating an ethical will.
The Library of Congress is conducting a Veterans History Project and you can too. Learn how to turn first person accounts of your military service into a book.
Tribute books celebrate family members or friends who have played a major role in your life. Learn how to portray their admirable qualities and show the impact they had on you.
about memoirs
Not all memoirs are the same. The elements of a family history are quite different from the account a veteran might write of his wartime experiences. An author writing a tribute to a relative or friend faces different challenges than a person who wants to create an “ethical will” to transmit her family’s values to the next generation. Each article in this section explores one type of memoir.
Ask yourself: Do I want to focus on just one period of my life? One theme or topic? Or is my subject more broad, spanning many years and even generations? Do I want to go beyond my own experiences to include family stories once told to me? Is the goal to preserve precious photographs and the stories behind them? By identifying the specific type of memoir you want to write, you can focus on generating ideas and selecting stories that will help you achieve your goals.
Click titles to read the articles (below, left sidebar)
“When you put down the good things you ought to have done, and leave out the bad ones you did do well, that's memoirs.”
Will Rogers
