Learning About:
Writing Your Life Story

Kathleen Banchoff and Ellen Ryan

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Introduction

Writing your life story can be a key element for maintaining your cognitive vitality, and for accepting the life you have lived.

• The process of writing a personal life history or memoir promotes an inner experience of life review, a normal, developmental task of mature adults.
• You may see new meaning in your past experiences, generate new insights about what is important and significant for you, and develop your legacy for loved ones.

Health Benefits of Writing

Writing life stories, even just for yourself, is a creative enterprise associated with many health benefits, including:

• improved emotional health
• strengthened self-esteem and social identity
• improved problem-solving skills
• decreased depression and anxiety
• better skills for coping with transitions such as retirement and bereavement

(From Kunz, 1991)

By resolving life conflicts through story, you can find your own way to peacefulness.

The Learning Process

This learning module introduces ideas, elements and formats designed to engage you in the process of life writing. As you explore, follow these guidelines:

• Pause to answer some of the questions posed.
• Write lists, headlines, timelines and first drafts to discover your own stories.
• Develop your draft: revise, rewrite until the stories take on the shape of your experience.
• Share your story: in a letter or online, with family or with a broader audience.
• Pursue the sources we offer - websites, books and articles, and writing groups - to develop your own support systems for writing.