OK. That’s a bit of a misleading headline. But if it got your attention, good. And indeed, use my 10 prompts, listed below, to help flex your memoir muscle.

• Get your notebook and a pen or your laptop.
• Center yourself by sitting comfortable and upright.
• For starters, do a body scan beginning at the top of your head and going all the way to where your feet are planted on the floor. As you scan, note tension and let it go. The aim of doing this is to become present in your body and through this, in the moment, right where you are.

Memoir matters. And what we are focused on for memoir journalling is the magic of what pops unbidden onto the page. Surprises you.

The key to unlocking this is to get thinking out the way. To be present. To allow. To give permission. To connect with the senses. Including the sixth sense: in Buddhist thinking is considered the sixth sense.

What we don’t want is the editor. One is aiming to journal in a way that involves no judgement, no criticism: total acceptance.

Write for 10 minutes on each of the following. Set a timer. Write in collaboration with your muse. Then when the timing ends and after you’ve completed all 10, reflect briefly on what you have written… You could make a time with yourself to go back and do this later.

If you write with a friend or if we do this in the workshop, share the reflection if not the actual writing. You can decide on this.

My wish for you is to find things that present themselves on the page and surprise you.

For me this is a big part of the magic of memoir and the written word.If you write with a friend or if we do this in the workshop, share the reflection if not the actual writing. You can decide on this.

Think textures, taste, touch, smells, visual images, hearing, emotion, color. Breathe. Write. Unleash.

• A favorite travel memory.
• A memorable meal.
• When I think of my father.
• A memory involving my mother and me.
• My inner child has this message for me…
• My passion in life.
• On the way to the wedding…
• The big lie…
• Reflections on a one-night stand
• Colors…

©Wanda Hennig, 2019