Thinking of Yesterday Today ~ Joan Day

What memories come to mind? Actor John Travolta commented in a USA Weekend article about being asked to write his autobiography: "Whether you publish your life story or not is not important. It's important to document your life somehow, as one would do in a diary." "Gabriel Heater" Home milk delivery in glass bottles Telephone party lines Washtub wringers "The Shadow Knows" Cod Liver Oil Prince Albert (in a can) Kick the can Mumbly Peg "The Inner Sanctum" Dragon fly (or better known as Darning Needle) Party games Fireflies First song you learned in Sunday school The Raleigh Man Green Stamps Hand directional signals Butter - 1940 Gas Stamps Radio soap opera First Television Home made ice cream "The Green Hornet" First drive-in movie Ration Coupons Ole Ole Humprey

MEMORY WRITING TIPS Think about preserving your memories of growing up in a time when life was simple and comfortable, a time of family togetherness and a time we will never see again. I share with you some basic tips on how to write your memoirs that will be treasured by your children and grandchildren. These tips proved invaluable to me when I was writing Thinking of Yesterday Today; my memories of when I was young in the 1940s and '50s. For an example of a recent project we completed with Alice Healey for her memoirs, click here...> Start small. Simply jot down memories, record or video tape them. Review the list to the left. Write your childhood memoirs next to each category. Take your notes and separate them into topics. These notes will eventually weave into a beautiful story of your life. Create categories. Think about how you would put these topics into categories. For example: Family, Life as a child, Transportation, Entertainment, Relationships, Best friends, School days, Pets, Tragedies/traumas, or any topic that fits your memories. Describe your family. Think about what you would want to say about your family. Describe your family. Who was the family "pet" or "pest"? Describe your mother and father. What did they do for work? Describe your family home. Any favorite recipes -- if you have family recipes, be sure to include them in your story. This is a great way to preserve them for future generations. What were you like as a child? Think about when you were young. What did you do for fun in the spring, summer, fall and winter months? What kind of games did you play with your siblings, cousins, and friends? Did you have a favorite teacher? What happened when you were sick; did the doctor make house calls? Were you quarantined? Did your parents have chores for you before you could go out and play? How did you get around? What was the first mode of transportation you remember? Write about memorable trips you took with your parents, grandparents, etc. When did you learn to drive and who taught you? Describe the first car you owned. What did you do for fun? Entertainment was all about family togetherness. What did you and your family do for entertainment? Did you listen to radio shows on Saturday and Sunday? What were your favorites shows? We made our own fun. What did you and your siblings do to make your own fun? Describe events that were special entertainment for you, your parents and siblings. Describe your family's first television. Was there a favorite program on television that you watched every day? Movie theater - what did you go to see? Outdoor theater - the first time you went, what did you see? Talk about your grandparents. What stories do you have of your grandparents to share with your children and grandchildren? What did they do for work? Do you remember holidays with your grandparents? Describe events in their lives. Include pictures. Remember to include lots of old pictures of yourself as a child, your siblings, parents and grandparents. If you have pictures of the house you lived in, include that. If you have dates and names, be sure to put that under each picture. If the date is not available but you have a good idea of the time frame, then put "circa" 1900s, 1920s, etc., to give the reader a glimpse into that period of your life. Include current pictures of yourself and family at the end of your story for the reader to know the who, what, when, and where you are today. Attend writing classes. Take advantage of writing classes when offered that can help you write the story of your life. When I attended my writing class, the instructor left us with three points to remember: (1) Precision: use exactly the right words; (2) Detail: Describe in detail. (3) Diversity: for example, don't write "I like spring because…" rather say, "I love spring in the morning when I open my window and a cool wind is blowing…" Ask questions. Ask lots of questions about the publishing process especially if you decide to self-publish. You may decide to have your memory book simply printed for giving as gifts to family and friends. If you do decide to print, seek bids from different printing firms. If you send your manuscript to a publisher, seek professional help to understand the contract. Seek out a marketing and public relations firm to assist in promoting your book. Finally, I encourage you to write down your memories, if for nothing else than to pass your stories on to the next generation. If you do not preserve these memories, your life story will be lost. You will find this task can be very special and rewarding.