Many of our readers have told us they have stories or experiences they could share, but they hesitate because they’re not sure how to begin.
Some say:
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“I wouldn’t know where to start.”
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“My writing is rusty.”
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“I’m not sure anyone would be interested.”
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
The truth is that writing a story is much easier than most people think. In fact, the hardest part is usually just getting started.
Once you begin remembering and describing what happened, the story often starts to unfold on its own.
And here’s the important part:
You don’t need to be a professional writer.
You just need to remember something that happened in your life and tell it in your own words.
A Simple Way to Begin
If you’ve ever told a friend a story over coffee, you already know how to do this.
Stories begin with simple questions:
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What happened?
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Where did it happen?
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Who was involved?
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Why did it matter?
Once you start answering those questions, you’ll find the story begins to take shape naturally.
A Free Course That Can Help
If you’d like a little more guidance, we offer a free course that walks you through the process step by step:
Write Your Life Story: The Essential Starter Guide
The course includes:
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simple instructions to help you begin
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exercises to unlock memories
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50 story prompts to spark ideas
Many people find that once they begin thinking about these prompts, memories start coming back that they hadn’t thought about for years.
You can explore the course here:
Not Sure What Story to Tell?
Many people believe their lives are ordinary. But what feels ordinary to you can be fascinating to others.
Stories might include things like:
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a memorable moment from your childhood
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an unusual experience at work
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a lesson learned the hard way
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a humorous misunderstanding
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a moment that changed how you see life
Sometimes the smallest moments make the best stories.
A Tool to Help You Out
Many people find that the hardest part of writing a story is simply knowing where to start.
To make that easier, we’ve created a page called Plan Your Story that walks you through a series of simple questions designed to help organize your thoughts and memories.
You can use it in one of two ways:
• Use the questions to help you develop and write your story yourself
• Or simply answer the questions and allow us to shape the information into a finished story
You don’t need to answer every question, and your writing doesn’t have to be perfect. Even a few notes are enough for us to work with.
If you’d like to try it, you can begin here:
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
If writing still feels intimidating, here’s some good news.
You can simply send your answers, notes, or rough draft.
As a writer and editor, I can help shape the material into a finished story while preserving your voice and experience.
Before anything is published, you will always have the opportunity to review and approve the final version.
Your story will never be published without your consent.
Your Story Could Help Someone Else
Stories have a powerful way of connecting people.
Something you experienced years ago may encourage, inspire, or even comfort someone reading today.
That’s one of the reasons we created Canadian Senior Moment — to share memories, lessons, and experiences that might otherwise be lost.
If You’d Like to Share a Story
If you’d like to contribute a story or memory, simply reply to this email or contact us through the website.
You don’t need perfect grammar.
You don’t need to be a writer.
You just need a memory worth sharing.
And chances are, you have more of those than you think.
**Bill Gould** spent 43 years as a long-haul truck driver before trading the steering wheel for a keyboard to help fellow Canadians navigate the road of retirement. A freelance writer, published author, and editor of over 50 books, Bill co-founded *Canadian Senior Moment* with his wife, Marilyn, to provide a trusted space for seniors to find clarity, safety, and connection in the digital age. When he isn’t troubleshooting “tech gremlins” or sharing childhood memories of the Prairies, he can be found in his woodshop or working on his latest novel.