Have you ever thought about what will happen to your diaries—who will read them, how you may one day use them? Join me as I consider this profound question.

dawn's musings, memoir & writingDawn M. RoodeJune 12, 2023journaling, journal writing, should i keep my journals, should i destroy my journals, who will read my diary one dayComment

The best photo captions do these things

Photos that have no captions will leave readers of your heirloom book guessing. Make sure to write captions that either tell a story or provide vital details.

memoir & writing, photo legacyDawn M. RoodeMay 1, 2023how to write good photo captions, why your life story book needs photo cations, what to say in the captions in my family photo book, does my family photo book need captionsComment

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 (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

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

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

Write the way you talk—your family will thank you

Any life story book passed down to the next generation is a gift—but it's an even better gift if it sounds like the real you: Write with your authentic voice.

memoir & writingDawn M. RoodeFebruary 6, 2023write memoir with your authentic voice, finding your voice when writing life story, writing in your own words and voiceComment

Why you should stop researching your memoir now

Research and fact-checking are integral parts of creating your memoir—but there's a good chance that it may be getting in the way of your actually writing it.

memoir & writingDawn M. RoodeJanuary 23, 2023researching my memoir, how to write my memoirs, do i need to conduct research to write my life storyComment