Should the Past Be Judged Essay - 2294 Words

Should the Past be Judged? We can learn a lot from consulting the past. We learn more about our world, more about our history, and even more about ourselves. Spanish aphorist George Santayana once said: â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it† (qtd. in Moncur 1). In general terms, this famous aphorism means that it is important for us to study and learn from history in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes. However, the standards and values that we use today to judge the present are much different than they were in the past. What may have seemed like the right thing to do one hundred years ago might not be viewed the same way today. In her essay â€Å"At the Buffalo Bill Museum, June 1988,† Jane Tompkins†¦show more content†¦Cody’s Wild West shows weren’t just used to preserve the buffalo species; they were used to depict his actions as an Indian fighter. â€Å"Buffalo Bill was a plainsman, but the place he might have held on the pic ture plane of the West was severely compromised and ultimately lost to the theatrical pretentions of the Wild West Show† (Momaday 638). For Cody, these shows were just a transformation into an imitation of himself. â€Å"The great fascination and peril of Cody’s life was the riddle of who he really was. The thing that opposed him, and perhaps betrayed him, was above all else the mirage of his own identity† (Momaday 631). In this essence, it is important for us to judge the past. Despite his treatment of the Indians, Cody is still an authentic American hero. Buffalo Bill isn’t the only figure in American history to be viewed in this controversial manner. Consider the actions of Christopher Columbus after discovering America. In 1492, Columbus set out on a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in an effort to prove that the world was round. After spending two months at sea, Columbus finally reached what he thought was India but was actually Central America. Columbus is credited for being the first to generate European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. His voyages eventually led to the colonization of the Americas and the development of a modern world. After Columbus, more and more explorers set out to the Americas,Show MoreRelatedracism speech Essay1431 Words   |  6 Pageswhat this disease is. You probably think that it can be treated with limited breakouts every few years. The virus Im talking about is racism. Imagine living every day in fear knowing that where ever you go, everything you do is b eing observed and judged. Imagine walking into a store or a boutique and having someone watch every move of yours thinking that you’re going to steal something, or expose a bomb from under your clothes. Imagine being mocked and hated at school because youre different.Read MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Imitation Game By Alan Turing1334 Words   |  6 Pagesvery personal consequence of society’s decision. Throughout the film the question of the appropriateness of differing sexual orientations, gender roles, and social norms are questioned by allowing the audience to see how these aspects have been judged in the past and the consequences of society’s decisions on a personal level. The first societal decision the rhetor questions is that of the appropriateness of gender roles. 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Many times, she is constantly pushing past the Victorian Era normality and standards at the beginning of the novel. Even though at the end of the novel, Jane is more grown and matured, but she was never like thisRead MoreOf Mice and Men Discri mination Essay923 Words   |  4 Pagesnovel, these three characters face many hardships because they are harshly judged and often misunderstood. Curley’s wife is probably one of the most misunderstood characters in the novel, often being looked down upon, or talked badly about. She is the only woman on the ranch, and who appears consistently throughout the novel. At one point, some of the workers are talking about her role in the ranch, and what she should and shouldn’t do. â€Å"Ranch with a bunch of guys ain’t no place for a girl, ‘speciallyRead MoreThe Most Common Ways People Identify Themselves1519 Words   |  7 Pagesassociated with different races. People are often judged on how they look and act. Some people benefit more than others just based on race. Others can be put at a disadvantage because of their sexual orientation. The family you are born into can have a major impact on how you are seen and what type of privileges and struggles you will face in life. Looking at my life specifically, I will reflect on how the culture, including race and gender, from the past and present can infl uence people’s lives in generalRead MoreVirginity And Its Effect On Society878 Words   |  4 Pageswhen you feel it’s right, I feel that no one should be judged on what their past sexually history is based on. Females are considered as un pure for having sex before marriage or multiply partners. On the other hand men are praised for having many sexually partners and are cool for doing so among friends. I feel what men are allowed to do females should be allowed also. It has always been a power struggle for female to be equal with men. Why are female judged about having sex with multiply partners andRead MoreThe Community Of Lgbt Workers Essay1583 Words   |  7 Pagesfairly or getting their fair share that they deserve in the workplace. They are victims to high rates of workplace discrimination. Instead of being judged as workers and what they bring to their jobs and how they work, they are being judged by their sexual preferences and appearance. Being a gay or tran sgender worker causes them to be mistreated, not judged for the actual workers they are, and most importantly, halts a majority of them in better career and job opportunities. Although under federal lawRead MoreStaples and Cofer1308 Words   |  6 Pagesthat is why a person should only be judged by who he/she is, each person is unique in his/her own way. Cofer addresses the stereotypes of Latin women, while Brent Staples points out the social views of African American men by both displaying the stereotypes stuck to them, how the grew up, and encounters with strangers to reveal the similarities and differences they face concerning ethnicity. No matter what ethnicity a person is, it seems as if everyone has to face being judged based on his/her ethnicityRead MoreWomen s Rights And Equality1135 Words   |  5 Pageseach person should be free to choose. The definition of equality inquires that all genders have the same rights and opportunities. According to law women are able to work, talk, dress, act, and express freely in society. The 1st amendment reassures all Americans these freedoms. It does not assure that women can work, talk, dress, act, and express freely in society without concern of being socially accepted. We deserve the same rights men have had since the beginning of time. In the past, the public

Agrarian Discontent in Late Nineteenth Century Essay

Agrarian Discontent in Late Nineteenth Century At the end of the nineteenth century the American farmers faced many problems. Industrialization of the farms caused many farm workers to loose their jobs. Many farmers began raising only one crop in large amounts, which led to deflation. This meant ruin for many farmers, since they had to pay back the debts they owed for land and machinery. The railroads, corporations and processors made the situation even worse by organizing together and regulating crop prices. The mechanization of agriculture created a lot of problems for the western farmers. New machinery made crop production much easier and faster. This caused many farm workers to loose their jobs, because such machines as the†¦show more content†¦However the deflation was not entirely their fault. The government was also to blame, since throughout the late nineteenth century it maintained a relatively static money supply. The population from 1865 to 1895 almost doubled, however money in circulation only increased by about fifty percent. In his acceptance speech, William McKinley said Debasement of currency means destruction of values. No one suffers so much from the cheap money as the farmers and laborers. This was true, since many farmers were unable to pay off their mortgages. The bankers charged interest rates of up to 40 percent on loans and forced many farmers into bankruptcy. Along with the bankers, the government also cashed in on the farmers land. They had to pay huge taxes on the land to local, state and national government. Protective tariffs also decreased he farmers profits, while benefiting the manufacturers in the east. Another problem for the farmer was the railroad. The octopus, as the farmers called it, could charge extremely high freight rates on their crop. In his book, The Octopus, Frank Norris described the situation of how Dyke, a farmer, was exploited by the railroad. After realizing that the rate was now five cents, Dyke said in astonishment, Well that ruins me, I wont make fifty cents. Make? Why, I will owe†¦ This was true since for many farmers it was often more profitable to burn their crop then to ship it. The railroadShow MoreRelatedLate Nineteenth Century999 Words   |  4 PagesIn the late 1800s, farmers believed that the railroad companies were strangling away their profits and the government was in favor of big business thus justifying their feelings of discontent.. The farmers had every right to be upset about their situation because the government saw a need for reform which alludes to the fact that problems existed, the railroads had a monopoly on shipping which raised co sts and affected profit margins, the value of crops had deflated, and big business was hostileRead MoreThe Populist Movement’s Grievances of the 1880s and 1890s 843 Words   |  3 Pagesbig business owners (Aboukhadijeh). 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Performance Management and Employee Engagement

Question: Discuss about the Performance Management and Employee Engagement. Answer: Introduction Lincoln Electric is among the fortune 1000 company which was started by John C. Lincoln to produce electric generators and later John along with his brother James started producing high quality arc welding machines and became a leading suppliers of such equipments (Lincoln Electric, 2017). Both of them shared the same ideology of employee motivation at workplace. Lincoln electric is widely known for their no layoffs policy which means they havent fired any of their workers in the tough times of depression. The reason lies in their incentive pay system. They clearly knew that the key to secure a competitive position in the market is the strategic contribution of every individual in achieving the desired goals and objectives. The report discusses about the various performance management techniques in the context of rewards and their implications on the performance on their workforce. The report also highlights the existing incentive pay scheme (Burton, 2012). Employee motivation is ver y important to achieve strategic goals of the organization and performance management ensure this. Performance management refers to the process of monitoring and managing employees performance and aligning their efforts into the direction of achieving the management goals. The person responsible for increasing the productivity of the employees of Lincoln Electric is their CEO Mr John Hastings, who in this ever changing dynamic environment managed to retain its employees and ensure a job satisfaction (Hastings, 1999). Reward practices at Lincoln Electric Mr Don Hastings, the CEO of Lincoln Electricals was responsible for integrating the ideologies of Lincoln brothers to motivate the employees through an effective incentive pay system. He knew the importance of compensation and rewards to increase the productivity of the employees and organization. Employees welfare in an organization is very important and he made sure that by offering them the rewards they deserve. The reward practices that are being followed at Lincoln Electrics are: Piece work system: The piece work system refers to the policy of earning on the basis of the output produced by a line worker in a manufacturing unit. This system directly rewards the contribution of the worker in the total production of an organization. Lincoln Electric has implemented this system for their factory workers. There is no fixed base wage and every individual is strictly paid for their produced output. This system gained a lot of criticism because it reminds the condition of garment workers, who are exploited and paid poorly on every piece produced. James Lincoln saw this piece work system as a great opportunity to induce the factory workers to contribute productively and they will be paid fairly. The output produced was directly linked to their personal interest as more they will produce the more they will earn. This system was proving to be very successful at Lincoln Electric because there was no restriction on how high can an individual earn. The rate of Absenteeism due to this has been very low. Though this system undoubtedly increased employees motivation but having a no base wage was a threat to the workers living. It has been also been mentioned in the case study that the workers were much tensed due to the recession which has directly affected their earnings. They were not earning well as they were earn earlier. Profit Sharing system: Profit sharing system refers to the distribution of profits as bonus to employees. This is a very effective incentive plan that ensures strategic contributions of every individual working in an organization because the more efficiently they work the more profits will an organization earn. The risk and rewards earned by an organization is also being shared among the employees. This concept is also known as share economy. A major part of profits earned by Lincoln Electric is distributed to the employees as yearly bonus. The employee retention rate is very high under this system. They know they will get a share from profits in the boom phase and during the tough times only the incentive amount is less. Profit sharing results directly into no layoffs (Jana Petr, 2013). The profit sharing system can prove to be a costly affair for an organization. Profit retention is very important for the growth and expansion of the business. During the time of recession, when organizations are struggling to earn profits for survival they have an obligation to pay the employees (Koller, 2013). Year-End Bonus: Lincoln Electric follows year-end bonus policy to give bonus to their employees. Bonus amount is calculated on the basis of the profits earned by the company and the grades which are given by the supervisor on the basis of their performance, competitiveness and flexibility in the working environment (Brown Reily, 2009). Though it works as great motivator but it creates a feeling of jealousy and unfriendly competition among the workers. The measures of the employees performance are the grades. Low grades are reflected in their bonus amounts. No Layoffs policy: Lincoln Electric is famous for their no layoff policy. They havent dismissed anybody from their organization since World War II or in during the time of recession. This gives an individual a job security and they are more motivated and committed to achieve organizational goals. Alternative Reward practices: Health insurance cover: Lincoln Electric does not provide any life insurance to the employees. Life insurance is often perceived as an additional cost burden on the organizations financial structure. But it is a major factor in recruiting and retaining potential talent. Workers at Lincoln electric who are involved in Arc welding are exposed to many health hazards such as electric shock, exposure to welding fumes and gases, risk of fire and explosion due to extreme temperature created by welding arc and loss of hearing power due to high welding machine noises (Lincoln Electric, 2017). All these can risk the lives of workers and their families who are dependent on them. Offering them the life insurance plan will give them assurance that their families are financially secure even after their death. This will increase the morale of the employee and will affect their performance in a positive way. Also, the firm will also get some tax benefits under this scheme (Miller, 2015). Workers Wellness programs: Lincoln Electric can also initiate a workers wellness programs which will not only include health care benefits for the employees but their family members too. The main objective of these programs is to create a healthy corporate environment to work in. The wellness package can include regular workplace health check-ups of employees to analyse their mental and physical wellbeing. For the line workers, employers can arrange workshops to enhance their knowledge on the factory safety methods. Also for the families paid health check-ups can be arranged (Kohll, 2016). This wellness programs can ensure productivity of the employees as the health risks will be low and due to this the absenteeism rate will also decrease. Workers who do not have fixed pay can benefit from these programs as the cost of health care benefits is high. This can ensure employee satisfaction and retention (Sullivan, 2013). Offsite employee activities: Offsite activities are recreational activities which are organized by the employer outside the organization. The reason behind conducting offsite activities is to provide employees and workers a break from their routine, so that they can relax and resume their workplace responsibilities with enthusiasm and contribute productively in achieving organizational goals. It includes many activities such as Volunteering in which employees participate in activities of giving back to the community they live in. These generally include CSR activities. Offsite activities also include fitness activities or playing sports and some field trips. Outdoor trips on the working days can bring a change in their usual working routine; it also strengthens the bonding between the co-workers. These activities also give an opportunity to the top level management and executives to interact with the people working in their organization which is not possible on the daily basis. This will help management to address employees issue (Sarita Gautam, 2015). Improving performing management process Managing employees performance in an organization is very important to ensure a sustainability position in the market. Lincoln Electric has been emerged as a leader in the arc welding product globally and the reason behind its success is their efficient workers and employees who are working continuously without taking any leave. There are certain issue of workers and employees that are needed to be resolved in order to manage their performance so that they can contribute strategically in the growth of the organization. An effective performance process will not only increase the productivity of the employees but lower the turnover and absenteeism rate of employees (Lin Jee, 2011). Factors that can improve the performance management process are: Basic wages: The line workers at Lincoln Electric are seen quite concerned because the economic position of the country directly affects their piece work wages. They are earning less than what they used to make earlier. Lincoln Electric should start providing a decent basic wages as per the industry norms to its workers. Basic wages gives workers a financial security to fulfil their obligation towards their families (Luce, 2012). Piece work wages are heavily dependent on many situations such as economic position of the country and the organizations performance in the market. By providing financial security to the workers in form of fixed wages, an employer will be able to retain and attract hardworking workforce. Non-monetary rewards: Employees of Lincoln Electric are induced by the management in form of attractive yearly bonus and share in the profits. But this is not the only factor to improve their performance. It is the responsibility of the employer to praise the employees hard work and performance (Laakso, 2012). They should acknowledge the efforts of employee in front of their co-workers so that they feel motivated to perform more efficiently. Also, the employer should take regular feedbacks from people working in the organization (Waqas Saleem, 2014). Mandatory breaks: At Lincoln Electric the workers resist lunch breaks or refreshment breaks due to the piece work system. They want to produce more output so as to earn more wages. They do their lunch at the factory and at times come even before their shifts starts. This is a very hectic schedule and may affect workers health and productivity in the future. The supervisor should fix a compulsory break time which will refresh the workers and they can do their work with enthusiasm. All these activities will help in performance management of employees and helps organization to retain the potential talent and increase their efficiency so that they can collectively achieve strategic goals of the organization (Saks Gruman, 2011). Conclusion Lincoln Electric has been emerged as a leader in its industry. The organization has secured a competitive position in the market because of their highly competent and dedicated workforce. By giving employment security to the individuals and maintaining their commitment of not laying off employees during economic downturns is an indication of long term commitment towards securing employees interest in the organization. Their incentive pay system which includes piece work system and profit sharing system has been idolised by many organizations and it directly affects their productivity at the workplace. They know the importance of employees contributions and as result they dont fix any incentive bar for them. There are certain issues that are needed to be addressed so that they can increase employees engagement and manage their performance for the sustainability of their business. Recommendations Reward practices of Lincoln Electric have proven to be successful in managing the performance of the employees but still front line workers are worried about their substantial decline in their piece rate so in order to secure their financial interest, employer should provide them with fixed wages. Also, the practice of giving yearly bonus which includes evaluating the performance of employees by giving them grade in comparison to its co-workers should be avoided as it increases unhealthy competition. Rather they should switch to acknowledging the work of the best performers and rewarding them accordingly. This will result into increase in the self-esteem and morale of the employees and help them to be productive at workplace. References Brown, D. Reily, P. (2009). Measuring the effectiveness of pay and reward practices How do we achieve more evidence-based reward management? Retrieved from https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/system/files/resources/files/mp84.pdf on 4 April 2017. Burton, K. (2012). A Study of Motivation: How to Get Your Employees Moving. Retrieved from https://spea.indiana.edu/doc/undergraduate/ugrd_thesis2012_mgmt_burton.pdf on 4 April 2017. Hastings, D.F. (1999). Lincoln Electrics Harsh Lessons from International Expansion. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1999/05/lincoln-electrics-harsh-lessons-from-international-expansion on 4 April 2017. Jana, F. Petr, P. (2013). Profit-Sharing A Tool for Improving Productivity, Profitability and Competitiveness of Firms? Journal of Competitiveness. Retrieved from https://www.cjournal.cz/files/148.pdf on 4 April 2017. Kohll, A. (2016). 8 Things You Need To Know About Employee Wellness Programs. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2016/04/21/8-things-you-need-to-know-about-employee-wellness-programs/#31b315a840a3 on 4 April 2017. Koller, F. (2013). The miracle of profit-sharing: Year 65 and still no layoffs. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/the-miracle-of-profit-sharing-year-65-and-still-no-layoffs/ on 4 April 2017. Laakso, L. (2012). Case study: The impact of financial and non-financial rewards on employee motivation. Retrieved from https://publications.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/42808/Laakso_Lotta.pdf?sequence=1 on 4 April 2017. Lin, S.J. Lee, Y.P. (2011). PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS: A COMPLEXITY PERSPECTIVE. International Public Management Review. Retrieved from journals.sfu.ca/ipmr/index.php/ipmr/article/download/103/103 on 31 March 2017. Lincoln Electric. (2017). Company History. Retrieved from https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/company/Pages/company-history.aspx on 4 April 2017. Lincoln Electric. (2017). Five Potential Welding Safety Hazards to Avoid. Retrieved from https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/welding-solutions/Pages/Five-potential-welding-safety-hazards.aspx on 4 April 2017. Luce, S. (2012). Social justice and growth: The role of the minimum wage. International Journal of Labour Research. Retrieved from apirnet.ilo.org/resources/social-justice-and-growth...role-of...minimum-wage/.../file1 on 4 April 2017. Miller, B. (2015). Do You Offer Life Insurance to Employees? Retrieved from https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2015/11/10/do-you-offer-life-insurance-to-employees/ on 4 April 2017. Saks, M.A. Gruman, A.J. (2011). Performance management and employee engagement. Human Resource Management Review. Retrieved from hop.tarjomeplus.com/Uploads/site-1/DownloadDoc/288.pdf on 4 April 2017. Sarita Gautam, K. (2015). Happy Workers Are Productive Workers. The International Journal Of Business Management. Retrieved from www.theijbm.com/force_download.php?file_path=wp-content/uploads/...id... On 4 April 2017. Sullivan, J. (2013). Heres Why Employers Need To Keep Offering Health Care Benefits. Retrieved from https://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/heres-why-employers-need-to-keep-offering-health-care-benefits/ on 4 April 2017. Waqas, Z. Saleem, S. (2014). The Effect of Monetary and Non-Monetary Rewards on Employee Engagement and Firm Performance. European Journal of Business and Management. Retrieved from https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.685.3904rep=rep1type=pdf on 4 April 2017.

Picking the Best Format to Write Your Life Story - The Writers For Hire

PICKING THE BEST FORMAT TO WRITE YOUR LIFE STORY You’ve had an interesting life, and you want to share your story with the world. You want to share lessons learned, leave a legacy for your family, or preserve favorite memories. You’ve thought about writing a book more than once, but you’re not sure where to start. In fact, you’re not even sure what kind of book you should write. Should you tell your story in chronological order, starting with the day you were born? Should you aim for a series of â€Å"snapshots† of important events in your life? Do you want to focus on one aspect of your life, like your career? Do you want to write about a challenge you’ve had to overcome? We know. That’s a lot to think about. First of all, don’t worry if you feel overwhelmed.   A book is a big project, and there are several great options for writing your life story. In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular options, and help you decide which is best for you. Autobiography or Memoir? Although you’ve probably heard these two terms used interchangeably, there’s actually a difference between an autobiography and a memoir. Both are great options for telling your story, but the option you choose will depend on things like your goals for the book, the focus of your book, and the types of stories you want to share. The Autobiography An autobiography is a sweeping factual narrative of your life. It’s written in chronological order from your birth to the present moment. It is based on factual events rather than memories and emotions, and highlights the experiences and accomplishments throughout your lifetime. All autobiographies are written in first-person, typically by the author themselves, but can also be written by a ghostwriter. While this format is normally used by famous people who have a lot of accomplishments and experiences to document, anyone can write an autobiography Within the autobiography format, there are two main approaches. You can write your life story strictly based on your history and accomplishments, listing the events of your life in consecutive order so your readers can learn about you and your life experiences. You can write your life story based on a particular theme. How would you define your life in one key message? Maybe it’s the idea that love conquers all, or a theme like overcoming adversity and never giving up. By determining one main theme and weaving it through the all facts of your life, it makes for a more interesting story and creates a better flow. In fact, many of the best autobiographies out there have a central idea that blends with the author’s entire life story throughout the book. Pros: This is a little easier to write, due to the chronological and factual nature of the format. Unlike some of the other options available, an autobiography can be straightforward and simple; there is no need to use literary devices or embellishments. Cons: Presenting your life story in a strictly factual, linear way can be less interesting than a memoir. The â€Å"just the facts† approach also means you’ll need to do lot of fact checking and research. Also, it can be difficult writing about yourself, especially in the first person, without it feeling stilted. You might find that you sound too humble or even too arrogant it’s hard to strike the right balance. Suggested Reading Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela Cash: The Autobiography by Johnny Cash Life by Keith Richards The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt by Eleanor Roosevelt The Memoir Unlike an autobiography, a memoir focuses on a more specific point in time based on your memories and the feelings of that time period. It is meant to re-create the past instead of merely record it, which makes for a more interesting read. This format is also written in the first person but is less formal. Instead of emphasizing factual events, a memoir is focused on how you remember or were affected by these events. One of the great things about this type of format is that it gives you, the author, great flexibility. You can write about anything. This is also a great option if you find that you really enjoy writing:   because a memoir covers only one aspect, event, or time period in your life, you can write numerous memoirs about other experiences. You can write a memoir about your childhood, your travels, your family, your career, or anything else. Think about a key theme or lesson and how it affected or shaped you then and now. You can write about a single personal event that happened; a single historical event; a series of connected events that have a common thread; or an external person or event to you and how it/they affected or shaped you, your life, and your outlook on life. Pros: You can write   about virtually any topic, theme, experience, or event. Plus, because you’re writing about your own memories and events in your life and not about your accomplishments, it’s easier to write without sounding stilted or over-indulgent. And if you love to write, you can write numerous memoirs. Cons: Writing a memoir takes a little more writing skill to make the story flow in an interesting way. Also, your memories could be less clear than the real events which could possibly open you up to liability issues. Other things to consider are privacy of others and the potential of alienating yourself from friends or family depending on your subject matter. Suggested Reading Eat, Pray, Love: One Womans Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert Runaway Amish Girl: The Great Escape by Emma Gingerich Drunk Mom: A Memoir by Jowita Bydlowska Angelas Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt Many Ways to Write Your Life Story Now that you know the difference between an autobiography and a memoir, it’s also important to know that these aren’t the only two ways to write your life story. Consider these optional formats: The Diary or Journal Many people regularly journal or keep a diary to chronicle their life’s experiences. If you have kept a journal over the years, then you are even closer to writing your life’s story. If have never journaled before, you can start right now to keep track of your daily life and use that as a springboard to writing your story. Using a theme or single topic as you journal can be a good way to get started. Plus, if you do it in this format, you can take a mix of both the autobiographical format and the memoir format by doing it chronologically but with more emotion and not as much fact. You can also simply intermix the memoir and diary formats together and write your memoir as if you were doing journal entries. Pros: You may have already been keeping a diary or journal throughout your lifetime, so it makes a great format to start with as much of the writing is already done. You can also still build around a central theme or simply write your memories out in this format. Cons: Many diaries or journals contain mundane thoughts, feelings, and daily events that aren’t interesting to write about or read. It can be harder to go through each entry and extract the interesting parts from what is probably not all that interesting. Oftentimes, keeping a diary or journal will lead to a lot of rambling and usually there isn’t a cohesive theme or event to it. Suggested Reading Oregon Trail Journal of Medorem Crawford by Medorem Crawford Written on the Knee: A Diary from the Greek-Italian Front of WWII by Helen Electrie Lindsay When Will This Cruel War Be Over?: The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson, Gordonsville, Virginia, 1864 by Barry Denenberg Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose by Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil The Biography A biography is the telling of person’s life story, typically a famous person, by another author. It is written in the third-person voice (he/she) and is also factual in content and written in order from birth to the present moment, just like an autobiography. But just because biographies are normally written by someone else, there is no rule book that says you can’t write your own biography! All you need to do is take your story and write as if it happened to someone else. You can also write your memoir this way using a he/she form of writing. Pros: Writing in the third person vs. first person can help you detach from your story so you can see it more objectively. Also, much like an autobiography, this format is based on facts and an easy to follow timeline, so you can write in a more direct way without a lot of added fluff like you would in a memoir or autobiographical novel. Cons: Writing in the third person form can be difficult when writing about yourself and your achievements. You also must still focus on the historical events of your life and the facts which means a lot of research and fact checking is necessary. Suggested Reading Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different: A Biography by Karen Blumenthal Robin by Dave Itzkoff Ernest Hemingway: A Biography by Mary V. Dearborn Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler The Autobiographical Novel Another way to present your life story is writing a fictionalized book based on the true or remembered events of your life. Why write your life story as if it were made up and put it into novel form? Certainly, there are risks when you write your life story and present a factual (autobiography) or semi-factual (memoir) account. Liability, privacy, protecting other people who are still living, and a sensitive subject matter are all good reasons to choose this format. Of course, writing in a fiction format can also be a good way to embellish on facts that aren’t quite so interesting. Just remember to never make up facts and portray them as truth within your life story. You can use truth within your fiction, but not the other way around. Pros: By choosing this format, you can avoid hurting family, friends, and other people that are a part of your story. You can also protect yourself from liability issues by presenting sensitive topics and information as fiction. Plus, if you don’t fully remember all the events you’re writing about, it might be better to present them as fiction. And writing in novel form allows you to embellish on the facts that aren’t quite so interesting. Cons: Presenting the truth as made up doesn’t give the healing or closure on certain events or topics in your life which is something many people try to do when telling their life story. Also, you want people to know it is your story and writing in fiction can cause confusion to your audience. Suggested Reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Contents May Have Shifted: A Novel by Pam Houston David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe Alternative Formats Want to do something completely unique? The great thing about writing your own story is that, well, it’s yours. And that means you can tell it any way you choose. The only limit is your creativity. Here are some ideas of other formats you can try: Like almost everyone, you probably have a phone in your hands at any given moment. Start taking video of important experiences and events to create a video autobiography. Create an audio or oral autobiography by voice recording yourself talking about your life, history, events, or anything you want to talk about to your intended audience. Take a series of photos of you with captions and create a digital photo autobiography that chronicles your life by placing it online, CD, or another digital format. Using photos, letters, certificates of achievement, journaling, and paper, make a one-of-a-kind keepsake scrapbook that tells your life story. It will be visual, unique, and something you and your family can treasure. Do you like to take your own photos? Create a digital memoir using photos you have taken across a life event, experience, or topic. Maybe you’re an artist and have created paintings and drawings over the years. Consider putting them all together into book form that helps tell a story of your life, similar to a memoir or across your life like an autobiography. If you are an avid social media user, you could consider taking your social media conversations, social media posts, even your text conversations and compile your life story around these things, even using a similar format. Group them together by topic or theme to make for easier reading. If using text messages or comments made by others, be sure to get permission from them before you publish in any sort of way so as not to plagiarize. Write a series of short stories and put them together into a book, like an anthology. They can be stories about similar topics or events or can be completely separate and random. Create a book of poetry with each poem detailing aspects of your life or memories. Pros: You can present your life story in anyway you choose! You can be as creative as you want while possibly even starting a new niche in this genre – you could be a trendsetter! Cons: You have fewer examples to follow to help you along with telling your story, especially if you are a new writer. You’ll have to be extra creative and make up your format as you go which might extend the time it takes to get your project completed. Suggested Reading Crack Street Victim Lane: Addiction memoirs / poetry, written in the Crack House, and while sleeping on the street by Samuel Arcelay Jean Howards Hollywood: A Photo Memoir by James Watters (Author), Jean Howard   (Photographer) Scrapbooking + Memoir = ScrapMoir 7 Steps to Combining Your Photos, Your Memories, Your Stories by Bettyann Schmidt