Life Story Writing
I have always preferred real stories to those of the imagination, but I don’t think I understood how important the imagination was in telling life stories until I dove deep into my first biography project.
I’ve always valued writing as a tool for healing and it is through this lens that I approach my life writing today. Every story, as we tell and retell, requires our imaginative forces to recreate the essence, the detail and feelings of the moment. And in constructing those moments in our lives using words, we are able to peer deeply into the subtleties of our experience.
In life writing we gather together the threads of a life and weave them into a tapestry that can be embraced by others. The opportunity to tell our story in our words is a legacy for others, and one of the greatest acts of faith in ourselves I can imagine.
My pathway into life writing has evolved out of many aspects of my life – writing articles about people as a professional writer and journalist, working with clients as a counsellor and art therapist and from my own practices in journal writing.
When I discovered life writing, I discovered a way to work that brought so many of these elements together. Empathetic listening, authentic questioning, skilful writing and imaginative scene setting all go toward a compelling read, and to write knowing that a story has the power to affect others is one of the most rewarding aspects of the work. But even more than that is the trusted place a life writer occupies in a subject’s world, even if only for a short time. It is work of great privilege and I am forever left with a deep sense of honour that I am invited into a life, a family and a story.
While many life stories are only captured on the page as a project of the twilight years, I encourage people to document their lives at any age or stage. A significant life event, illness or change, decade or transition from one life to another are all worthy of writing about. This means our life stories start right where we are and can companion us throughout our lives. We all have something fascinating to share and our stories are never finished.
Lindy Schneider
Full Member – Life Stories Australia
www.lindyschneider.com.au
