Write Your Life Story: A Guided Workbook of Memories, Questions and Prompts

Most people have stories worth keeping, and most of them never get written down. Write Your Life Story makes it easier to start, and to keep going.

This is more than a list of questions. Each chapter gives you practical guidance on remembering and writing, a short original example showing how a plain memory becomes a story, and six questions with space for your own answers, plus extra ideas for when you want to write more.

You don't need any writing experience. Work in any order, a few minutes at a time, and skip anything that doesn't fit your life. The workbook is written for every kind of family and background.

Use it yourself, or give it to a parent, grandparent or anyone whose stories you want to keep.

What's inside

• How to use the workbook, and how to save and keep copies of your work
• Part One: Getting started (how to turn memories into writing, with a warm-up)
• Part Two: ten chapters of memories: Earliest Memories and Childhood; Home and the People Who Raised You; Learning and Growing Up; Friendship and Love; Work and Everyday Life; Turning Points; Hard Times and What Came After; Laughter and the Unexpected; Traditions, Celebrations and Family Stories; What You Would Pass On
• Part Three: From memories to a life story (putting it in order, linking passages, light editing, keeping it safe)
• A timeline, a "people in my story" list, places you have lived, photos and keepsakes, and extra writing pages

What you get

• One download (zip file) containing:
• Printable PDF in A4 and US Letter sizes, to print at home and write by hand
• Fillable PDF in A4 and US Letter sizes, to type your answers on screen and save them
• A reusable extra writing page (A4 and US Letter) to print whenever you need more room
• About 77-79 pages, with large, readable type and an ink-light design

Typing boxes have no length limit. Longer answers shrink to fit the box so nothing is hidden; for very long answers, continue on the extra pages.

For typing on screen, we recommend Google Chrome, which has been tested. Other PDF readers supporting fillable forms may also work, but have not been tested.

This is a digital download. No physical item will be sent.