Autobiographical writing has benefits from two perspectives. On the one hand this genre provides an opportunity for individuals to synthesize and express what they have learned over a lifetime. On the other hand, personal reflections are valuable for families, communities and the greater public because they contribute to historical data and understanding of particular times and places.
Read MoreWriting down our life stories gives us an opportunity to look back and see what has shaped us. The act of writing brings together and gives weight to a wide range of experiences, feelings and responses to the events of our lives. We see more clearly the key events and how our reactions to them altered the direction of our journey.
As I started writing my own life stories I was surprised by the person who stood up inside of me. It wasn’t the quality of my writing that struck me but the way my words began weaving together and enliven aspects of myself that had been cast aside, half forgotten or meticulously packed away. The theme based Guided Autobiography assignments helped me to focus and tell stories about experiences that I probably would not have otherwise explored.
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