• Birth
  • Toys
  • Parents
  • Grandparents & Great Grandparents
  • Brothers & Sisters
  • Other older generation relatives (aunts & uncles)
  • Other same generation relatives (nieces & nephews)
  • Schools attended (elementary, high school, college, etc.)
  • Holidays
  • Birthdays
  • Failure and hope
  • Illness and remedies
  • Religion
  • Property you or your family have owned
  • How you survived the depression (if applicable)
  • Your children (if applicable)
  • Jobs & businesses
  • Politics
  • Turning points in your life
  • Inventions
  • Hobbies
  • Marriage (if applicable)
  • Pets and other animals
  • Where were you on important days in history (Pearl Harbor, D Day, VJ Day, VE Day, JFK assassination, Elvis’ death, etc.)
  • Accomplishment you are most proud of
  • Fashions
  • Family feuds
  • Games & Sports
  • Talents
  • People you’ve met
  • Different types of love, such as romantic love, love for relatives, love for friends, etc.
  • Spiritual growth
  • People who have had a special influence on your life
  • Influence of wars on your life
  • Influence of the arts – music, theater, dance, movies, books, paintings, etc.
  • Family traditions and rituals
  • Gifts – special gifts you have given or received
  • Special moments
  • Children and things they say
  • Your special page
  • Food
  • Your life today
  • Your plans for the future
  • Your attitude toward death
  • Courtship
  • Brief encounters
  • Immigrants
  • Brushes with physical danger
  • Unforgettable people you’ve met
  • Lessons you’ve learned
  • Natural disasters – blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, etc.
  • Tears you’ve shed
  • Vacations and other trips
  • How you learned to do something new, such as drive a car, ride a bike, or use a computer

What you've learned is more important than what you've earned

What is a StoryStarter?

StoryStarters are very brief, general topics designed to spark memories from your past. These StoryStarters are best used by jotting down a very quick note that is only a few words long about each memory that surfaces so that you can remember to write a more detailed story about it later.

The StortyStarter topics along with your memories in your notes about them will act as a memory vault for you.  One memory will spark another memory and your memories will quickly multiply many times.  You will quickly accumulate a vast collection of your memories and a wealth of material from which to write many stories.

If you’re interested in writing your memoir some day, these memories and stories will make that process much easier. Your StoryStarter Memory Bank will provide the foundation of stories that are already written that will fuel your memoir writing and make it much easier to write than it otherwise would be if you were starting from scratch.