Post #251– Memoir Writing Tip – Matilda Butler
Women’s History Month and Writing Your Personal History
Women’s History Month is now in full swing. International Women’s History Day is March 8. Each year, we have the opportunity to set aside some time and acknowledge the women who have made a difference in history.
To get you thinking, I’ve put together a list of quotes from women — quotes that are inspirational as well as practical. As you think about your life and your writing, reflect on these:
“What makes you different or weird- that’s your strength.”- Meryl Streep
“I was once afraid of people saying ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand and say, ‘This is who I am.”- Oprah Winfrey
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I always knew the woman I wanted to be.”- Diane Von Furstenberg
“Women have been trained to speak softly and carry a lipstick. Those days are over.”- Bella Abzug
“I am stronger than my fear.”- Malala Yousafzai
“Do not live someone else’s life and someone else’s idea of what womanhood is. Womanhood is you. Womanhood is everything that’s inside of you.”- Viola Davis
“What you do makes a difference. And you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”- Jane Goodall
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”- Mother Teresa
“A man told me that for a woman, I was very opinionated. I said ‘For a man, you’re kind of ignorant.”- Anne Hathaway
Memoir Writing Prompts
Writing Prompt #1: Read through the quotes above and find one that speaks to you. Write for 10 minutes about it. Why does it connect with you? Does it reflect on things that have happened in your past? Does it offer ideas for your future?
Writing Prompt #2: Time to celebrate all the women in your life who have made you the person you are today. Think about the women who have made a difference in your life. Write a list of these names. Writing the names gives you a little time to reflect on each one. Then read through the list and select one. Write for 10 minutes about that woman. Who is she? What is her relation to you? When was she an important person in your life? If still alive, when was the last time you were in contact? If not recently, consider reaching out and thanking her for her contribution to the woman you have become.
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