Memoirs, Family History, and Scrapbooks

Memoirs and family history are written as ways to revisit parts of the past and record those events as a means of self-discovery, or to preserve those memories for future generations. While a memoir is often associated with a full-length book, it’s a form of expression that can be as simple as one’s written impression about a memory or event. A scrapbook is a pictorial record that can include memoir or family history as a means to document the photographs. Whether such documentation is a lengthy passage or a simple phrase to describe a photo, this way of preserving family or other personal history is known as scrapbooking.

Anecdotes and other forms of humor, reviews, and personal essays and memoirs are ways you can personalize your writing. An understanding of these forms and how to write them can add further dimension to your skills. –from The Everything Improve Your Writing Book by Pamela Rice Hahn

	Doing Oral History by Donald Ritchie (2003) Oxford University Press
	Legacy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Personal History by Linda Spence (1997) Ohio University Press
	Like It Was: A Complete Guide to Writing Oral History by Cynthia Stokes Brown (2000) Teachers & Writers
	The Tape-Recorded Interview: A Manual for Fieldworkers in Folklore and Oral History by Edward D. Ives (1995) University of Tennessee Press
	Turning Memories into Memoirs: A Handbook for Writing Lifestories by Denis Ledoux (2005) Soleil Press
Additional Memoirs, Family History, & Scrapbooking Books
	Courage and Craft: Writing Your Life into Story by Barbara Abercrombie (2007)
	The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing: How to Transform Memories Into Meaningful Stories by Sharon M. Lippincott (2007)
	How to Write Your Own Life Story: The Classic Guide for the Nonprofessional Writer by Lois Daniel (1997) Chicago Review Press
	Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir by William Zinsser (1998) Mariner Books
	The Memoir and the Memoirist: Reading and Writing Personal Narrative by Thomas Larson (2007)
	Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir by Natalie Goldberg (2008)
	The Photo Scribe: A Writing Guide: How to Write the Stories Behind Your Photographs by Denis Ledoux (1998) (This book is endorsed by Eastman Kodak and has glowing reviews from a number of “scrapbookers” who state how instructive it is.)
	Scrapbook Storytelling: Save Family Stories and Memories With Photos, Journaling and Your Own Creativity by Joanna Campbell Slan (1999) Memory Maker Books
	Scrapbook Storytelling Series: Storytelling with Rubber Stamps, Bk. 1 (2002) Efg Inc.
	Scrapbook Storytelling Series: One Minute Journaling, Bk. 4 by Joanna Campbell Slan (2001) Efg Inc.
	Writing Life Stories By Bill Roorbach (2000)
	Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art By Judith Barrington (2002)
	Your Life as Story By Tristine Rainer (1998) (Unlike the other books suggested here, this one isn’t as much a writing guide as it is an explanation on how to use a diary as “a tool for personal growth and for realizing creative potential.”)
	Click here for additional information on books on Family History and Scrapbooking

Index for the Improve Your Writing Pages

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