A fun way to spark childhood memories for your memoir

Smells (such as of Mom’s perfume or Grandpa’s grease-stained clothes) and sounds—especially music—can trigger long-buried memories helpful for writing memoir.

memoir & writingDawn M. RoodeApril 17, 2023using the senses to help spark memories, how to use smells to bring back memories, how to use music to bring back memories, how to remember childhood for memoirComment

Life Story Links: April 9, 2023

This week’s curated roundup includes conversation with memoirists of note, life writing book recommendations, and recent family history reads and tips.

curated roundupsDawn M. RoodeApril 9, 2023recent news about personal history, family history in the news, curated list of stories for family historiansComment

Life (and life writing) lessons from a WSJ obituary writer

Why leave your legacy in the hands of someone else? Try your hand at writing your own obituary with these tips—it just may be the start of your mini memoir.

memoir & writingDawn M. RoodeApril 3, 2023book review, how to write about my life, easy ways to tell my life story, how do i start writing my life story, lessons from an obituary writer, review of yours truly an obituary writers guide to telling your story Comment

Life Story Links: March 28, 2023

Dawn Roode curates the best of what she’s read this week on the topics of family history, life stories, memoir writing (and reading), and leaving a legacy.

curated roundupsDawn M. RoodeMarch 28, 2023recent news about personal history, family history in the news, curated list of stories for family historiansComment

What to do when you have too many memory-keeping ideas

Don’t let all those memory-keeping ideas swirling around your head overwhelm you. Instead, take some time to hone in on which stories to tell first—here's how.

family history, memoir & writingDawn M. RoodeMarch 27, 2023life story book themes, how to decide what stories from my life to write about, how do i know what to write about in my memoir, overcoming family history book overwhelmComment

Why a “coffee table” life story book?

After we record your personal history interviews, I craft your story and photos into an heirloom coffee table book—not a video, not an audio file. Here’s why.

book ideas & inspiration, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeMarch 20, 2023why make a life story book, is a coffee table book good for family history, books vs video for family historyComment

Life Story Links: March 14, 2023

This week's curated roundup includes a quick guide to RootsTech 2023, lots of conversation about reading and writing memoir, plus notes on legacy and research.

curated roundupsDawn M. RoodeMarch 14, 2023rootstech 2023 roundup, recent news about personal history, family history in the news, legacy news roundupComment

Two great resources to help you write an ethical will

Ethical wills—also called legacy letters—are great ways to pass on values and life lessons to your descendants. These two books will help you create your own.

reviews, memoir & writingDawn M. RoodeMarch 6, 2023how to write an ethical will, resources for writing your own legacy letter, preserving your stories for the next generation, book reviewComment