The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing: How to Transform Memories Into Meaningful Stories [Paperback]

Sharon M. Lippincott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2, 2007

EVERY LIFE HAS A STORY. HOW WILL YOU TELL YOURS? "The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing" provides you with all the tools and encouragement you need to preserve the memorable tales of your life. Within these pages, you will learn effective methods and discover insightful tips to create meaningful stories and collections that will be treasured, not only by you, but by generations of your descendants, as well. Lifestory writing instructor and coach Sharon Lippincott guides you through every step of the writing process -- from planning through layout and publication. With the instructions in this valuable resource, you will be able to: identify your overall purpose for telling your lifestory, and use that purpose to maintain project progress; develop a personal plan of action suited to your individual workstyle preferences, no matter if they be highly organized or semi-chaotic; stir your creative energies and recall relevant memories to record in your stories; write solid stories and edit them to the desired level of polish; and compile accumulated stories into a finished volume to be printed by any of several means. Whether you like to keep a handwritten journal, tap away on a typewriter, or post to a blog, every aspiring lifestory writer will benefit from reading "The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing."

Editorial Reviews

Review

I can't imagine a better guide to lifestory writing. Sharon Lippincott pushes, cajoles, encourages, shares, and stays with you every step of the way. Don't worry if writing and computers are new to you. Do your children and grandchildren a favor. Get this book, take a deep breath, and give them your story. --John Kotre, Ph.D.; author of White Gloves, Make It Count, Seasons of Life; Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan, Dearborn

In this lovely guide, Lippincott helps beginning writers bring their stories out into the light. She outlines the art and craft of telling the True story, and offers writers practical tips for finding and shaping their voices on the page. How wonderful it is to find such an intimate guide with such precision, clarity, and grace. --Lori Jakiela, author of Miss New York Has Everything

"The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing" demystifies the memoir writing process. It shows how to begin writing a personal history, an exercise that can be a cathartic memoir or a thread of the family tapestry. The user-friendly guide includes personal examples of events, memories, and tributes -- a virtual invitation to compile one s own menu of stories. --JoAnn Melton, lifestory writer

About the Author

Sharon Lippincott is a lifestory writing instructor and coach, and the author of "Meetings: Do's, Don'ts and Donuts." In recent years, she has focused her attention on creative nonfiction, specializing in lifestories. An active member of several writing groups, both real-time and on the Internet, she has written over 500 stories and essays about her own life experiences and observations. She holds workshops and lectures on lifestory writing all around the country and lives in Pennsylvania. Sharon's professional background is in training and development. After graduation from Boston University, she earned a master's degree in psychology from Central Washington University, where she received the Distinguished Thesis award. An enthusiastic supporter of Toastmasters, International, Sharon holds the Distinguished Toastmaster award. She claims the conceptual organization skills she learned in Toastmasters have helped her writing as much as her oral communication.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Lighthouse Point Press (July 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979299802
• ISBN-13: 978-0979299803
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #349,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pick Up Your Pen and Write, October 1, 2007

By 

Patricia N. Pando "Trilla" (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing: How to Transform Memories Into Meaningful Stories (Paperback)

This is a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-going book. Its encouraging admonishments should fall on the willing ears of beginning life-writers and experienced ones as well. "Start writing," the author urges the reluctant writer at any skill level. With this book, the writer will never go it alone. Sharon Lippincott is a master project person, a worker bee, not a flitting butterfly. Sticking-with-it is a problem all writers experience at one time or another. The solution? "When you have a purpose...you'll discover awesome staying power." Having this purpose is critical, no matter if it is to share the story, your story, with family and friends, to use writing as a means of self-exploration, or...?

Since "Sharon's Stories" comprise the first appendix, I feel comfortable using the author's first name. Indeed, after completing the book, I felt we are great and close friends. Sharon defines what she deems "lifestory writing" on the very first page, indeed the first line of the book. It is "the process of transforming your own essence into works on paper for other people to know--daring to expose not only your actions and experiences, but your thoughts, your choices, your perceptions, and your feelings." It may sound daunting, but as Sharon explains, it becomes not only doable but fun and challenging. As a part of the main text, she recounts her own experiences in discovering this creative process. She peppers the text with exercises. Stop and do them! As examples, she uses her own life stories from the appendix. Again, stop! Put in a bookmark and take the time to read the stories as you proceed through the text.

Don't worry about what goes down on the page as you "start writing." "The underlying theme of this book is that anything you write is okay," says Sharon. Fine, so far. But there's more--we can't stop there but must make a choice--let it stand and go on to another story or make this story better. Each choice is fine, but make the decision. Those who make the second choice move on to editing and tightening--fine-tuning their stories. This is a book for storytellers of all levels of skill and degrees of experience. The outright beginner will benefit by starting at page 1 and working through to the level where she is both comfortable and satisfied. The more seasoned writer may do the same or pick and choose. I found the chapter on "Stories from the Shadows" particularly helpful as I did the sections on conflicting family memories and writing other people's stories.

The four appendices will be useful to all. As I've stated, Sharon's personal stories are a delight and can either stand alone or serve as outstanding examples. The "stuck" writer may head for the second appendix, which is a series of memory triggers. There will be something here to get your pen moving. I've worked with word processors for well over twenty years, yet until I browsed "Layout and Other Geeky Stuff" in Appendix 3, I've never known how to insert a caption with a picture. This may be geeky stuff, but it is also neat stuff. Sharon does a great job of explaining. Finally, Appendix 4 offers two bibliographies. The first is of books cited in the text. The second comprises as complete and current a list of books on life-writing and memoir as I have ever encountered. A perfect place to go to select your next book to read in the endless challenge to tell your own story in your own way.

What I'd love to do is hop in the car and drive myself off to spend a few days at one of Sharon's workshops. But until that opportunity comes along, I'll be content with purchasing a new notebook and letting Sharon encourage me via her written word.
This review is also posted on the Story Circle Book Review website, at www.storycirclebookreviews.org .

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superbly written, organized, and presented instructional manual, September 3, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing: How to Transform Memories Into Meaningful Stories (Paperback)

"The Heart And Craft Of Lifestory Writing: How To Transform Memories Into Meaningful Stories" by Sharon M. Lippincott is an expertly written, 'reader friendly', specialized instruction guide that is especially recommended reading for anyone aspiring to write their memoirs and autobiographies. It is also an excellent 'how to' reference for authors who are writing biographies based upon the reminiscences and anecdotal stories of their subjects and others such as family members, friends and associates. All the proper writing tools are covered, as well as such vitally important issues as clearly identifying the overall purpose of the life-story, a personal plan of action adapted to the writer's workstyle preference and personality, stimulating the recall of memories, editing, and preparing the final manuscript for publication. A superbly written, organized, and presented instructional manual, "The Heart And Craft Of Lifestory Writing" especially commended to the attention of anyone who would like to record their own life story for the benefit of their posterity, as well as the general reading public.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hits the Sweet Spot, December 12, 2008

By 

Kim Pearson "Author, Ghostwriter, Storyteller" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing: How to Transform Memories Into Meaningful Stories (Paperback)

You should only read this book if you are prepared to give up all your excuses for not writing those great stories you always meant to get to "someday." Because after you read it, all your reasons for not sharing who you are - on paper - will be dead in the dust. You know what they are - "I don't have time" - "I'm not a writer" - "I don't know how" - "I don't know what to leave out or put in" - "I don't know how to start" - "But what will my mother-uncle-girlfriend-husband-children-boss-neighbors think?" and so on. Dead. Gone. You will be a writer.

This practical yet inspiring book finds the sweet spot between "want to" and "how to", and addresses both. In concrete, practical terms it gives you instructions and exercises in everything from how to know what to write about; how to start; how to make your writing sizzle; how to plot and plan; how to edit drafts; how to organize; even how to illustrate and publish, if that is your desire. This is a truly complete guide to writing down the events of your life without stressing yourself out in the process.

Yet the book also goes right to the heart of why people write. It speaks to that still, small voice within us that tells us to "Share this!"

Otherwise, why are we here?