How a Memory List can help you write
“People are made of stories. Our memories are not the impartial accumulation of every second we’ve lived; they’re the narrative that we assembled out of selected moments.”
— Ted Chiang, The Best of Subterranean
They say to use personal examples in our articles to make ourselves and our topics come alive, be more relatable to our readers.
This is good advice. I like to read articles written by people I relate to, who’ve maybe had similar experiences to me. Sometimes a personal story makes the message that much more vivid and memorable.
But, how many of us can easily dredge up appropriate memories on demand?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a big bucket of memories that I can just dip into when I need to. Lugging around 57 years of memories, I struggle to pull out what I had for breakfast yesterday, let alone what I did on that one day at work 20 years ago that would perfectly illustrate that thing I’m writing about today.
I’m on an active observation kick right now. I’m trying to be a better observer and use all my senses — sight, sound, smell, touch, taste — to see things I don’t normally see.
A side-effect of this is that often a random thing, object, person, situation, will drag a memory kicking and screaming from the depths of my mind. Something that I haven’t thought about for a very long time. I’ll remember what was happening at the time, how I felt, what I learned, how it affected me. Then, a few minutes later that memory will sink back into the morass.
“Right now I’m having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.”
— Steven Wright
For example, from where I’m sitting right now, I see a tapestry of orange roses on a black background hanging on the wall. I haven’t thought about that for a long time but it reminds me of the excitement of starting that tapestry as a kid. I remember the sense of accomplishment as the roses and the stems bulked out on the canvas. I remember the boredom of working on the seemingly never-ending black background. It quickly went from exciting to chore. I remember putting it aside intending to go back to it one day but never actually going back to it. I remember my surprise and guilt when my mother finished it and framed it for me.
I’m not sure when I could use that memory in an article — maybe an article about finishing what you start — but I know I’ll forget it as soon as something else catches my attention.
What I need is a way to capture that memory without too much effort but in a way that I can get it back when I need it.
Enter: The Memory List.
I first read about the Memory List in an article by Denis Ledoux on the Memoir Network. He discusses it in the context of writing a memoir and the first time I read the article I read it with that in mind.
I recently reread that article and it occurred to me that I could use a Memory List for more than just a memoir memory jogger. I could turn my Memory List into a Memory Bucket. I could store memories and thoughts in that bucket then pluck out the ones I need when I need them.
What exactly is a memory list?
“The Memory List consists of short memory notes (three to five words is sufficient) of people, events, relationships, thoughts, feelings, things — anything — from your past.”
— Denis Ledoux, The Memoir Network
A Memory List is a simple dot point list of memory joggers.
A Memory List item is not supposed to be a full-blown reminiscence, like a journal or memoir entry. Each item in the Memory List should have just enough information to help bring back the full memory when you read the words.
How do you create a memory list?
Open a document and just start listing things you remember. Don’t censor yourself. Don’t try to categorise them at this stage. Just keep writing down memories as you think of them.
Keep your points as short as possible, around 3 to 5 words if you can. It’s not supposed to be a full account of what happened, but be specific enough so that when you read it later it’ll bring the full memory to the front of your mind.
Don’t put ‘jacket’, put ‘blue denim jacket sheepskin collar’. Don’t put ‘curtains’, put ‘Star Trek curtains’. Don’t put ‘tapestry’, put ‘tapestry orange roses black background’.
At its most basic, the Memory List is an unordered list. But I’ve found that if I want to use it as a source of personal stories for my articles, it’s useful to either add tags to each item or have a second version that I chunk into themes.
A Memory List is a living document. Whenever you remember something, add it to the list even if it feels like something you’ll never use. I often use my Memory List as a warm-up when I begin my writing day and spend the first 5 minutes adding to my list.
“Your Memory List is always a work in [progress] because the more you remember and jot down, the more you’ll recall.”
— Denis Ledoux, The Memoir Network
What can you do with your memory list?
A Memory List is a versatile beast.
You can use it to write your memoir, as a trip down memory lane, or as a source of personal stories for your articles. You can also use it to trigger article ideas, like a prompt.
It’s easier to scan a list of short words and phrases than to read back over longer-form journal entries. I’ve found the memory jogger words are enough to raise full memories when I need them.
Journaling for me is a chore. Most of my days feel the same so I quickly lose interest in documenting them. I rarely look back over my sporadic journal entries.
Adding a few dot points to my Memory List, however, is easy. And for someone as lazy as me, easy wins out every time.
Start your own Memory List today, no matter how old you are or how lazy you are.
However you use your Memory List, I hope you find it as useful as I find mine.
“There are too many books I haven’t read, too many places I haven’t seen, too many memories I haven’t kept long enough.”
— Irwin Shaw
