Set the scene
Tell readers where you were and what was happening. A few honest details can make a remembered moment feel immediate.
Your memories belong somewhere
Submit Your Story
Some moments stay with you because they changed everything. Others stay because they were small, ordinary, and somehow impossible to forget. Put yours into words and share it with My Best Stories.
Start Your SubmissionBegin with what you remember
A story does not have to cover a whole life.
You might write about the summer you first felt independent, a person who saw something in you, a family tradition that still makes you smile, or an adventure that did not go the way anyone expected. The best place to start is usually one scene you can picture clearly.
Do not wait for the perfect opening or a complete life history. A meaningful story can begin with a kitchen table, a lake at dawn, an old photograph, a familiar voice, or the moment you realized that nothing would be quite the same afterward.
What to include
Give the moment a little room to come alive.
Name the people
Introduce the people who mattered in the moment. You can use the names that feel right to you.
Follow the change
Share what happened, what surprised you, or what the moment taught you. The change is often the heart of the story.
Keep your voice
Write in your own words. The way you remember a conversation, a place, or a person is part of what makes the story yours.
A simple way to begin
Start with the first detail you can still see.
Try finishing this sentence: “I can still see…” Then follow the memory from there. Maybe it is a red canoe by the shore, a suitcase by the front door, your grandfather’s hands, the sound of a dog running down a hallway, or a song coming from a radio. You do not need to explain everything at once. Start with the part you remember most clearly.
Once the scene is on the page, add what came before it and what came after. If there are gaps in your memory, say what you know and leave the rest alone. A story becomes more believable, not less, when it is honest about what has faded over time.
For more help finding a first scene, read How to Write Your Life Story, One Memory at a Time. When you are ready, return here and send the story in your own voice.
Choose the story, not the whole history
Look for the memory with a beginning, a turn, and something that stayed with you.
Many people put off writing because they think they need to explain an entire life. You do not. A strong personal story usually follows one meaningful stretch of time. It may last an afternoon, a summer, a season, or a few minutes that changed the way you saw someone you loved.
Ask yourself which memories come back without being invited. Perhaps there is a place you still visit in your mind, a sentence someone said that you never forgot, or a day your family tells over and over again. Those are often good stories because they already have feeling attached to them.
Then find the turn. Something may have been discovered, lost, decided, forgiven, or understood. The turn does not have to be dramatic. A quiet realization can carry as much meaning as a big event. Readers want to know what made the moment matter to you.
Finally, let the memory end where it naturally ends. You do not need to tie every thread into a neat lesson. Sometimes the lasting image is enough: the last light on the water, a packed car pulling away, a hand held across the table, or an empty chair after everyone else has gone home.
Make it feel true
Small details carry the weight.
Personal stories become memorable when they contain the things only you could know. Instead of saying that a house felt welcoming, describe the screen door that never closed quietly, the cinnamon smell from the kitchen, or the chair everyone fought over. Instead of saying that someone was kind, remember what they did when you needed them.
Dialogue can help, too. You do not have to recall every word perfectly. Use the phrases, rhythms, jokes, and names you remember. If a conversation is only partly clear, describe its meaning rather than forcing it into exact quotes. The goal is not to prove that every syllable is perfect. The goal is to tell the truth of what the moment meant.
Give yourself permission to write a rough first version. You can move sentences, correct names, and add details later. What matters most is getting the memory out of your head and onto the page while it still has energy. A simple, complete draft is far more useful than a perfect first paragraph that never grows into a story.
Leave room to remember
You do not have to include everything the first time.
It is fine to leave out a detail you need to check, a date you cannot quite place, or a part of the story you are not ready to share. Begin with what feels clear and important. You can always return to the draft after a conversation with a sibling, a look through an old photo album, or a quiet walk that brings another detail back.
Try not to explain every feeling before the reader has seen the moment that caused it. Let the action, setting, and people do some of the work. A father standing at the end of a driveway, a child waiting by the window, or a friend arriving at the right time can say more than a long explanation.
Most of all, do not talk yourself out of a memory because someone else may remember it differently. Your point of view is the reason the story matters. Tell the part you know, with care for the people in it, and let the memory sound like you.
After you send it
Your story stays yours.
- Send the draft you have.It can be a first draft. Give the story a title, include your name and email, and write the memory as fully as you can.
- Add a photo if you would like.Email it separately with the story title in the subject line so it can be matched to your submission.
- Review publication together.Jerre Blodgett will respond promptly, and your story will remain confidential until you grant publishing permission.
Ready when you are
Send your story.
Begin with the memory that keeps returning to you. You can include as much detail as you need.
Frequently asked questions
A few helpful answers before you begin.
Do I need to be a professional writer?
No. A clear, honest memory is enough. Write as you would tell the story to someone you trust, then include the details you can still see, hear, or feel.
How long should my story be?
There is no required length. Give the moment enough room to make sense, whether that takes a few paragraphs or several pages.
Can I include a photograph?
Yes. Email a photo of yourself, the person in the story, or both to submissions@mybeststories.com. Put your story title in the email subject line so it can be matched with your submission.
Will my story be published right away?
No. My Best Stories will contact you before publishing your story, and your submission remains confidential until you grant publishing permission.