Seniors Matter(s): Become an author!

The beginning of my writing career, during this phase of my life, was enhanced by a Christmas gift my children gave me. It was a structured process in which a company asked, and collated, a question a week to which I would spend a few minutes writing about and then send it back.

They were stored and I could go back to any one answered and expand upon if more thoughts came to mind. After the year-long process, I had accumulated a book that was then privately published for my family. To say the least, it was a very interesting, reflective, important exercise.

I encourage you to do the same!

I am offering to help any readers, who do complete this task, to publish their own private memoirs if you contact me at billpike3@gmail.com.

I enjoyed the leisurely pace of one 15-minute reflection per week but often wished to speed up the process, which you can do by seeing all the prompting questions at once. They can, of course, be expanded upon in any order, or skipped. Best wishes!

Write your personal history:
 

1. Write about your name, where did it come from, what does it mean?
2. When and where were you born?
3. Write about your mom, what would you like people to know?
4. Write about your dad, what would you like people to know?
5. Do you have siblings, write about them.
6. Where did you grow up? What do you remember about this place?
7. Think about your house growing up. What was it like?
8. What was your childhood bedroom like?
9. What was your favourite activity as a child?
10. What was your favourite place to go to as a child?
11. Who were your friends as you grew up, how did they change over time?
12. Did you travel as a child? What were your favourite places to go?
13. What did the typical day look like when you were age eight,12 15?
14. What was high school like for you?
15. What world events were significant to you as a child?
16. What do you remember about your grandparents or what you were told about them?
17. Write about your aunts.
18. Write about your uncles.
19. Write about your cousins.
20. Write about your early school memories.
21. What were your favourite subjects in school?
22. Who were your favourite teachers in school?
23. Did you move as a child? Write about it.
24. Who taught you to drive?
25. What was your favourite food as a child?
26. Write about your most memorable birthday.
27. Write about how you typically celebrated birthdays
28. Write about a favourite holiday memory or memories.
29. Write about the hardest part about growing up for you.
30. Write about what's the best part of getting old.
31. Write about when you first left home, valuable to experience, where you went and what you did.
32. Write about what your parents did for work.
33. Write about your first job.
34. Write about a favourite family story.
35. Write about a funny story that has been passed down through eight generations.
36. What were you most proud of as a child?
37. What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you become it?
38. Who inspired you as you matured?
39. What job has been your favourite?
40. What was the best part of your 20s?
41. What was the best part of your 30s?
42. Are you in a relationship? How did you meet your significant other?
43. Did you have any boyfriends or girlfriends as a youth that are memorable to you?
44. Write about your children.
45. What are you most proud of as an adult?
46. Write about the most fascinating place you've visited.
47. Write about the one thing about today that you never want to forget.
48. Write about what item you will cross off your bucket list next.
49. Write about what advice you would give your younger self.
50. Write about anything else that comes to mind that you haven’t addressed.