Your Life Story Matters Newsletter

November 11, 2024

“Start telling the stories that only you can tell because there will always be better writers than you, and there will always be smarter writers than you. But you are the only you.” — Neil Gaiman

Starting your life story can feel overwhelming. But the key is to let go of the need to start “perfectly” and, instead, focus on taking the first small step.

Here’s a simple way to get started or restarted:

➡️Mindset Prep: Tell yourself, “I don’t need to be perfect; I just need to begin.” Take a deep breath, grab a pen or open a blank document, and remind yourself that every writer feels this way at the start. Yes, even bestselling authors.

➡️Writing Tip: Set a timer for five minutes. Choose any simple memory—a memorable birthday, a family meal that fell short, what surprised you most about the time as a student or as a member of military service.—and write without stopping.

• Who was there?
• What happened?
  
• How did it end?
• How did you feel?
• What did you learn?

No editing, no re-reading. Just let the words flow.

➡️Encouragement: Everyone starts with a blank page. Yes, even bestselling authors.

You are brave just for starting, and every word you put down is one step closer to your finished story.

➡️Takeaway: Your story doesn’t need a grand beginning. Just one memory, one sentence. Let yourself start small, and watch where it leads.

You can edit and polish your story only after you've written that very messy first draft.

➡️Insider Tip

Create a place to preserve your stories on or offline until you're ready to polish them.

I save my stories on a site called Storied.com. Want to check it out? Use my link to explore it at

https://bit.ly/storied-florabrown-referral