Whenever someone thinks of writing their memoir, they want to begin at the beginning, when they were born. And then they slog through the next forty or fifty plus years until even they become bored with the process.
We will take a different approach, one that says we are not writing our autobiography, not our “memoirs,” but a collection of stories from our lives. We will come at it through the side door, not the front door. We will write with intent. Some call this shimmering images of our lives; some call it a one-inch picture frame. There is power in telling your truth and bearing witness to the stories of others. The small astonishing moments of our lives may just be what the world needs now.
One can write many versions of their memoir through many portals such as turning points, examples of strength, resilience, transformation, relationships, food, geography, home, travel.
Whether we write for ourselves, our family or the world, we can learn from each other. Our tales of survival, adaptation, sorrow, and joy can connect us and give us strength to go on as nothing else can. We can save this world, one story at a time.
About Gail
Gail Frank is an educator with more than 20 years of teaching experience. She is founder of the writing institute, Creative Journeys, and teaches writing workshops throughout the U.S. For many years Gail wrote a column entitled “Life in Our Towns” for the North Coast Citizen newspaper under the name of Gail Balden. A long time resident of Nehalem, she currently divides her time between Nehalem and Green Valley, Arizona where she writes stories of the human condition in our borderlands.
