Not always do we need to escape into the fictional world to come up with exciting stories. Many times, we find them around us through observations or maybe through something that we have personally experienced at some point in time in our life.
Experiences are beautiful, aren’t they? Equally fascinating are memories. Or in simple words, some incidents or moments which stay with us, which are stories in itself.
Today we will be talking about such little things which for us hold a lot amount of significance. These are the moments that we would like to share and discuss with people. We will be narrating such experiences. These things could be quite basic or something very intense, depending on the person and his / her experiences.
Take an example of a park that you have been regularly visiting since you were a 4-5 year old. Now you are 12, and that park has been shut for a year due to some reason or got replaced with industrial construction. So, in this case, you would have numerous memories to share about the park, the beautiful moments you have spent there, the friends you have been there with, games you have played, its benches, animals, so on and so forth. You are missing this all today. How about writing this all down and narrating it? It need not necessarily be in the regular ‘Once upon a time..’ format. It could be very simple, very subtle, or maybe the opposite (depending on your experiences) but should be quite engaging, involving, and entertaining for the reader to read.
All you need to do is think about 3 points :
1. What’s the incident / experience / memory?
What exactly is that thing which you remember? You need to brainstorm and try getting a clear picture of it in your mind before venturing out with the writing process. It could be something very basic, minimalistic, something intense, or maybe dynamic. It could be anything, and you need to treat it exactly the way it is, along with the kind of treatment it deserves while narrating it.
2. What led to it becoming a memory? Why do you remember it so distinctly?
What are the reasons behind an experience or an incident turning into a memory? It isn’t an overnight process; it happens gradually over a period of time. You don’t even realize the fact that the moment you are living now will end up being a memory somewhere in the future. Something as recent as this article which you are reading, it’s just another moment for you right now, but it could be something that you might remember months and years down the lane. There are reasons because of which something stays with you for long, an emotion you feel while reminiscing it. You need to think about this emotion, where did it arise from, how did it keep getting stronger over a period of time.
3. What did you learn from it?
In simple words, it is like the ‘moral of the story.’ Every story has something to offer. Similarly, your tales (experiences) must have taught you something or the other. What was your takeaway from such experiences? Today when you look back at that memory, what do you think you have learned from it? What did it teach you? Did it make you a better human being, a better thinker, an emotionally stronger or a wiser person, or any amongst the n number of other possibilities?
Once you follow these 3 points and keep penning down the content accordingly, you will realise you have a story with you by the end of it. And this one would be quite personal, something which you deeply feel about.