I Remember, Part 1

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This exercise is designed to help you exercise your memory and troll for story germs.

Each of us has memories that we return to again and again. Some memories are happy. Others are haunting. Some are confusing. Some are like photographs -- images that we can't shake, for better or worse.

Reach back into your early memories. What images do you see?

Make a list of at least ten specific memories. Begin each line of your list with the words, "I remember."

Your list can be in chronological order, starting with your earliest memory, or it can be random, or out of order. It can be a long-term memory from any part of your growing-up years or about any person whom you knew. It can be about a particular event or experience from your childhood.

As you create your list, try to:

• Recall specific details.
• Include at least three senses.
• Make each line as specific and concrete as you can. (For example, it's not just a pleasant smell but the smell of roses or laundry dried outside.)
• Avoid vague and abstract language. (This is explained more fully on the next page.)

Two Rules:

• Your list must be child-centric. That means, it must be written from a child's perspective or for a child. That means you're going to do some time travel to return to that time and place in your memory.
• Your list may not rhyme.

Set your timer. Give yourself 15 minutes or more to complete your list. After your timer goes off, take a break before you turn to Part 2 of this exercise. Go read or take a walk or fold some laundry or raid the refrigerator.

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