Why Write Your Stories? Author and Writing Coach, Deb Donnell reflects on why writing your stories is an important legacy for you to create.
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Following on from my last reflection, I thought I would share with you why I believe it is important that you write your stories.
Inspiration from Billy Connolly
I recently watched Billy Connolly’s 2018 documentary Made in Scotland. He is one of the most famous and funny comedians of his era. Sadly he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013 and retired from stand-up comedy five years later. This has slowed him down a wee bit, but he’s still creating artwork, featured in a television documentary In My Own Words in September 2024, and released his latest autobiography Rambling Man: My Life on the Road in 2023.
Even so, it was hard watching him so diminished in the 2018 Made in Scotland documentary. He openly shared how he struggles to remember a lot of his stand up comedy stories as he loses the thread of them. If you have ever seen his act, you’ll know how funny and well told the stories are, as he weaves and threads so many parts into them.
I saw him live in 2004 when he was filming his World Tour of New Zealand. I laughed non-stop as did the rest of the audience. The next day he rode past me on his famous three-wheel motorcycle. I waved and he waved back.
Anyway, he said in the Made in Scotland documentary that as he ages, he is remembering more clearly his childhood experiences. And this is probably one reason why he is writing his memoirs (he’s done four since retiring from stand-up comedy).
Why Writing Your Stories Creates a Brilliant Legacy to Share
You may think you don’t have the brilliance of Billy Connolly, however your life and your KESWiN is just as important. Maybe your audience won’t be as great as Billy’s is, but there will be enough people interested in reading what you write to make the writing time investment worthwhile.
Read on to discover why writing your stories is the best way to create your brilliant legacy for future generations.
Writing Your Story for Future Generations
So while you may think that your stories aren’t of interest or importance to anyone now, they will, quite possibly, be hungered after by future generations. After all, what seems quite ordinary to you now will be quite fascinating to others in future decades.
I would love to know what my ancestors values, beliefs, principles, hopes, dreams, fears and weaknesses were. Because they instilled these in their children, who then instilled them in their children, all the way down the line to us.
Your blood lineage is part of your individual history, the foundation of who you are. To understand yourself, you must, to a certain degree get to know who your ancestors were. You get clarity about your own unique identity by making sense of who they were, why they did what they did, and how this shaped who you are. And beyond this, even having a physical health record will give you the necessary information to know the hereditary risks you may encounter in your life.
Consequently, it is important for you to make some kind of record to leave for your grandchildren and their descendants to have access to. Writing a memoir is a good way to do this, as you can interweave various aspects of your life into interesting stories. In future reflections I will share strategies and tips on how to do this.
Why writing your stories and sharing your KESWiN is important to do now
Make enough copies and distribute them widely so the chance of survival over the centuries increases. It’s cheap and easy to do with current technology. So really, you have no excuses.
Writing Your Stories is Therapeutic
Obviously, not all that you write in your journal will be published. I have written hundreds of journals that I call my “writing diamond mine.” They are mostly full of rubble with a few scattered gems hidden within the pages. Possibly they will never be read by anyone other than me. But they record my journey through life, and show that I have lived, dreamed and done my best to overcome obstacles and meet challenges.
Writing journals is a good place to start your story writing journey. Set time aside every day (even if it’s only 15 minutes). Record whatever comes to mind, in the stream of conscious writing style. If you struggle to get started, then use a writing prompt, or pick a nearby object and start to describe it. In time, the process will become easier, and stories will start to take on a life of their own as they emerge onto the page.
And before you know it, you will be ready to take the next step, and start writing content for other people to read. Who knows, maybe even one day you’ll release the book that’s trapped inside of you.
Creating a memoir or family history book is one of the best legacies you can share and leave for your descendants. I provide workshops, courses and mentoring to assist you with the writing, editing and publishing process. Learn more here.
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