Treasured Stories

05/15/2016

Write the details down
by Jewel Allen

My daughter had our photo book from our 2014 European trip out so she could use a photo to construct and paint a castle for a class. I picked it up and was browsing through it, smiling at the memories between the pages. During that trip, I blogged daily, sometimes staying up till the wee hours of the night so I could write down the details.

I glanced at my son who was sitting on the chair opposite me and asked him that when he goes on his mission, he writes details in. He kind of scrunched his nose and said he didn't like to add details in his journals.

I understand where he is coming from. He is probably so tired at the end of the day, writing details just feels tedious.

But omitting details is like creating a painting with just vague strokes. It gives one a general impression, but not the complete picture.

If you start now to add details, you will remember more memories and your descendants will thank you for it. You can use your journal as a "primary source" for your life story someday.

"I'm just lucky to journal once a month," you might say. Or, "I'm too tired at the end of the day to include details." Here are some tips to overcome the "journal blues".

1. Write daily. It is daunting to start this. I know. I hadn't journaled in so long, I just wanted to give up that goal. Try it for 7 days, then 14. Challenge yourself to not miss a day for even that short of a time and you will have established a great habit. This also makes recounting of events so much easier because you can tackle it increments at a time.

2. Type it. Our dependence on technology means that writing long-hand can be fatiguing. I know I get tired fast. So type your journal entry. And don't forget to print it out.

3. If pressed for time, just type something, anything. It will at least get you writing, and before long, you will think, I can spare a few minutes more.

4. What details should you write about? Use all the senses. Write down what you see, what you hear, what you touch, etc. Believe me, when you look back at those entries, it will be a fun deja vu.

5. Start small and work your way up to longer journal entries. Writing is a muscle. You need to build up your stamina to keep going.

Have advice or an experience to share regarding journaling? Feel free to post in the comments.

02/24/2016

Working with a client. This cat's owner moved him from his chair so I could sit but he asserted himself. I understood. So we shared. :-)

12/17/2015

I've been working with a client on recording her Treasured Stories. She was born in the early 1930s so we have a lot of ground to cover. She's commissioned me to interview her for ten hours. I've come over regularly since around Thanksgiving for one to two hours at a time. I ask her questions and mostly let her talk while I record and type the transcript on my laptop.

When I first met with her, she told me she felt self-conscious; she wasn't interesting enough, she might not remember everything. But piece by piece, we are putting together her life story. I swear, it seems like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. I get it; her memories are safe.

I tease her that she can't be interesting once I pack away the recorder or my laptop. Invariably, when I turn the recorder off, she mentions something else, and I press the "on" button again. We laugh about that.

We are winding down on her ten hours, and it looks like we might need a couple extra more. But what an achievement for her. I am truly happy for her and her family.

***
Year-end savings! Sign up for a Treasured Voices package ($350 for 10 hours of guided interviews) by Jan. 8, 2016 and save $50. Interviews will take place after the holidays. Call Jewel Allen at (435) 841-9145 to schedule a no-obligation appointment. For more info, visit our website at www.treasuredstories.net

12/17/2015

http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/my-view/sandy-mcpherson-carrubba-treasured-stories-should-be-shared-20151217

They enter the room slowly. Some push walkers. Others move with careful steps. Their bodies don’t always behave the way they want but their minds are sharp, their memories clear and vivid. How I enjoy listening to their stories! And listen I do because I hear history made alive.I am... - The Buffalo…

10/27/2015

This past week, my husband and I were trying to remember which family had its turn for us to join at Thanksgiving. Funny how we couldn't remember details from last November. Finally, I looked it up on Facebook. Sure enough, we had pics from last year and it was with his family. Moral of the story: take pics even if you have done a holiday a million times. It will help reconstruct your stories later...and you will know whose house you are spending the next holiday at. :-)

08/05/2015

My favorite part of this job: delivering books to a happy client! Congratulations to Maurine Lee for publishing her life story, "Enjoying the Ride". Kudos to my awesome project team members, Celesta Critchlow and Amy Sandbak!

06/05/2015

We updated the "Creative Team" page on our website. We are excited to have this great team make every client book the best it can be. Go check out the bios of Jewel Allen, Mariah Murphy, Celesta Critchlow and Amy Sandbak. http://treasuredstories.net/ourcreativeteam/

Our Creative Team Treasured Stories, based in Grantsville, Utah, is a memoir publishing company dedicated to helping clients preserve their stories and photos in beautiful books. We also provide other writing and editing services of any size. Contact us for a free consultation. Jewel Allen, Owner/Pr…

04/08/2015

Just finished revising the "ancestor" chapter of a client's book. Our new associate editor, Amy Sandbak, has done a phenomenal job using FamilySearch.org to double-check facts and stories. So grateful for Family Search - it is an indispensable tool for the memoirist. Here are other tools: http://www.lillienews.com/articles/2015/04/06/tips-tracing-your-family%E2%80%99s-past #.VSR1C_nF_W8

Were your ancestors humble farmers or wealthy nobility? Did they travel to find their fortune or have they always lived close to your current home? Exploring your genealogy can be fascinating.

03/27/2015

The other day, at a Tooele County Chamber lunch, I sat by a man who is opening an antique store in Tooele. He's helped his mom run her antique store in Salt Lake for years. I asked him what are some interesting things he's found. He mentioned some World War II goggles and said, "I wonder what the person wearing those goggles has seen." Someday, your descendants will see something you used to own - the proverbial goggles. Don't leave them guessing. Tell them what you've seen in your lifetime, by writing your story down.