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| Local author Heather Shaw’s new book helps people realize their dream of writing their own life story; the complete program results in a published book that can be a legacy of one’s life and wisdom. Photo by Kristine Morris |
Life as we know it
Local author helps people tell their own story
LEELANAU - “You’ve spent your whole life telling and retelling the story of your life. It’s what humans do,” said local author, editor, publisher and book designer Heather Shaw.
“But even though many people say they dream of writing their own life story, most of us never will because, unless you’re a writer by trade, the task can seem overwhelmingly daunting.”
Motivated by the death of her grandmother and her own adventurous life, Shaw has created a book and a program that can help prospective writers fulfill the dream of preserving their stories, or those of their elders, for new generations.
“About a year ago, my grandmother on my mother’s side died,” said Shaw. “She was an extraordinary woman: smart, articulate, self-possessed, and above all, curious about the world, particularly about people.
“Nedra was the kind of woman who would always become ‘best friends’ with the person sitting next to her on an airplane or in a waiting room; when she focused her attention on them. No one could resist telling her their life story. She asked thoughtful and probing questions that made people pause to consider deeply before answering.
“In a way, Nedra was a muse of memory,” Shaw said. “She inspired people to want to remember, to consider and reconsider their memories and get to the bottom of what made their lives coherent and meaningful.”
Lost answers
Shaw’s grandmother never wrote down the stories of her own life, and when she passed away, many questions were left unanswered. Shaw discovered that it isn’t always tales of their great adventures that one wants to know about one’s ancestors – sometimes the simple facts of their lives might hold the key to understanding one’s own.
“I’m very sorry that I don’t know what she thought her father had done well, how she felt about being an only child or never having attended college, or in what way her daughter’s career surprised her. There are so many questions I know she would have enjoyed thinking about and answering.
“She would have taken pleasure in knowing that her life and thoughts were preserved as part of family, and human, history. This book can’t help my grandmother, but I wrote it in the hope that it would help others get their story down before it’s too late.”
Reflected wisdom
Shaw’s questions are as focused, thoughtful and probing, as her grandmother’s must have been, from the simple ones designed to detail the geography of a life, to those that reveal the respondent’s soul.
Not all have to be answered; Shaw reminds those using her book that the questions are not a test, and can be skipped if they don’t apply. “Truth or Dare” questions like: “If your favorite young person came to you with the question, ‘Can people truly change?’ What would be your answer?”
Shaw said ask that one, reflect deeply before responding, and the result of such reflection can be a valued record of a loved one’s personal wisdom.
The great advantage of having an experienced writer guide the memoir-writing process cannot be underestimated; Shaw understands the places where one is likely to get stuck, or the story’s potential to become unraveled, and knows how to keep things moving.
She studied creative writing at the Interlochen Arts Academy and the University of Michigan, and then began to explore the world. Her travels brought her to publish a weekly in Mexico and do feature writing for a paper in Spain.
After returning home to Michigan, she was a researcher and editor for New York Times bestselling author Doug Stanton, and edited two national magazines: “ForeWord” and “Spirituality & Health.” She has taught creative writing, has written and published a novel and was instrumental in the success of “The Dunes Review” and Michigan Writers group.
“The greatest value in writing about your life is self-knowledge,” said Shaw. “The second greatest value is making a document that describes who you are, how you got that way and what you’ve done with your life, available to the people who care about you.
“If you don’t write it down, no one will ever know. If you don’t write it down, even you might not ever recognize or acknowledge the amazing experiences of your life,” she said.
To learn more, go to www.writememorybook.com. The book is also available at Horizon Books in Traverse City, and on amazon.com.
The ‘Write, Memory’ Process
“For those who wish to write an autobiography – a history of a life from birth to old age – ‘Write, Memory’ provides a template that can be filled out, either randomly or chronologically,” said Shaw.
“It helps would-be memoirists to uncover patterns in their lives, organizes the order of the stories, and solves the problems around beginning, ending and skipping from place to place. It allows the memoirist to just write.
“The most exciting part of ‘Write, Memory’ is that the end result is a printed book that the author can keep or give to others. When the author finishes their memoir or autobiography, they has the option to send the files to writememorybook.com along with up to 70 photographs.
“The files will be formatted into a 6’ x 9’ paperback book with the cover of their choice. Authors receive two printed copies of the book, a PDF file from which more books can be printed at any copy shop or printing service, plus a link to an online bookstore where they can purchase more copies for themselves, for gifts, or even to place in bookstores for sale.
“This is an amazing gift for older friends and relatives, particularly if it’s given with some time spent with them questioning, listening, and completing the story of their life,” said Shaw.
