Thursday 29 October 2015

Writing Your Legacy


I can't believe it's over a year since I wrote the first draft of a memoir 'My Skin, My Life.' Whilst writing the 30,000 word draft was therapeutic and revealing, I decided not to go ahead with actually self-publishing it in a book format.  So I shelved the whole idea.

Nothing is wasted when it comes to our writing so I had faith that when the time was right, I would be able to draw upon the memoir's material as a resource for future writing.

Recently, I was inspired when sharing my family tree with my eight year old granddaughter.  I was pleasantly surprised by her excitement and enthusiasm at what can only be described as a complex family history. This revelation prompted me to take action now, rather than later.  

Eagerly searching for a different framework for my life writing, I came across Writing Your Legacy - The Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Life Story.  Through a series of 35 guided themes, as well as supplementary exercises, the book provides the opportunity to explore milestones, relationships, career paths, and major choices.  In Part One, the basics of life story writing are examined.  Part Two is all about the legacy themes. Part Three discusses titling your book, how to enhance your story with images or video, and deciding on a final format.

So, it's official, I'm writing my legacy using a different framework.  This has provided me with the creative freedom to write. I hope to break new ground in the process.


Anthony Joseph in Conversation at the London Buddhist Centre

This time last week I was still reflecting on Anthony Joseph who read from his T S Eliot award winning collection of poetry Sonnets for Albe...