I’ll be gone camping to the Columbia River in Washington with Zumwalt cousins until July 8. Meanwhile here’s another hint to get you started writing your own memoir or helping someone else write theirs.

Carry a small notebook so whenever a memory comes you can jot it down. Just a word or two will do for now. You might want to start by dividing the notebook with post-its or paper clips. Maybe “early”, “mid-life”, and “later” will do for now. Or before and after big events such as marriage, divorce, children, etc. My memoir was first divided into “Colorado”, “Mexico”, and “Arizona”, three places I’ve lived.

Use whatever divisions work for now, knowing they can be changed. Divisions serve simply to remind you that memoir doesn’t have to be composed chronologically. Think of one story at a time for now. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of writing an entire book.