As we stand on the cusp of a new year, it's natural to look forward with anticipation to what the next twelve months might hold.
This sense of beginning anew is deeply embedded in our collective consciousness, urging us to set goals, forge new paths, and create a vision for the future that is imbued with hope and purpose. Yet, it's not just about setting resolutions that often fade as the year progresses; it's about crafting a legacy through the stories we tell and the memories we choose to preserve.
In a world that moves at a breakneck pace, the art of storytelling provides a sanctuary for reflection and connection. It's a practice that not only honors the past but also shapes the future.
I like to take this time to look at my writing through a fresh lens. There is nothing quite like a clean calendar, ready to fill with plotting and planning (unless maybe it is a blank journal for writing and musing.)
I love to look ahead and think about each month and what will be happening in my life and how my writing can reflect that or be inspired by that. For example, my mother’s birthday is in June and so it is natural for me to want to write and commemorate memories I have about her during that time.
I think the former teacher in me loves to look at life through these monthly themes and topics and it is something I definitely bring to you through my Podcast, Facebook group and now the Memory Minders Membership. So today we are going to look at some things to consider as you set your writerly goals for 2024 that are not just about the act of writing but about cultivating a space where creativity thrives.
I can honestly say that gathering this list for you has me excited about setting some pretty big intentions for myself and our Preserve Your Past Community!
The following intentions are organized by seven areas, and I invite you to review the areas and the suggested related intentions and see what you are pulled towards as we cross over to 2024.
These intentions will guide in answer the following questions:
Where would you like to be with your writing this time next year?
How do you want to feel about your writing throughout the process?
How can you set yourself up for success?
Which of these areas will spark your writerly intentions for the year?
Topics
Who would you like to write about? Parents, grandparents, children, friends?
Childhood memories?
Lessons learned in 2023
Habits
How often do you want to write - daily, weekly, monthly
Or quantity - 1 story a week? month?
Purpose/Goals/Audience
Do you have special occasions that personalized stories would make a perfect gift for: graduation, birth, wedding?
Is there someone who has passed who you want to commemorate?
Would you like to give everyone in your family personalized stories for their birthday?
Writing Skills
Online class/ Writers Workshop
Books on writing
Membership/Group
Writing Experiences
Gather with friends or family to work on shared stories?
Create your own writers retreat? Register for an official writer’s retreat?
Join a writers group?
Gather Information/Research
Are their family members you want to interview while you still can ask them their stories?
Is there genealogical research you would like to do that will then lead to stories?
To listen to the episode head over to The Preserve Your Past Podcast here.
Looking for more writing support?
For help getting started check out my free resource Family Tree Story Starters: Simple yet powerful templates and prompts to start writing your family stories!
Check out my book Bridging Your Past and Future: The Top 10 Items to Include When Documenting Your Personal History.