Life writing is a group for the cognitively active individual who can answer questions concerning their past, their families, and their life history. Questions are prepared in advance and gathered into a chapter format. The facilitator asks the questions of each participant and records their answers on separate sheets. Embellishment is desired so the group setting is important for the elicitation of stories gained through shared participation. The facilitator also becomes the transcriber, placing the notes into a typed format and placing them into a “book” that will become a participant’s life story. Those who participate are encouraged to decide on the title for their book and to provide photos whenever possible. The original photos can be copied and given back to the participants. When there are no photos, one can utilize appropriate magazine pictures and insert a recent photo of the author thereby creating an individual holding a dog, riding a horse, plowing the garden, etc…
Each participant is given the understanding that the completed book will be their own to keep or to give to a family member Samples of chapter questions can be found by clicking on the links provided below. Because there is considerable typing after each session, it is a good idea to hold this group twice a month at the most.
We have provided a full example of an individual’s “Life Writing”. We have omitted items that contain details of a personal nature. Such as copies of obituaries and funeral bulletins with full family names on them. These items along with other items that you’d see in an individual scrap book can easily be added to the project. Please click the book stack image below to see the example we provided.
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