Memory Mapping for “ An Anthem For My Life ” Creative Nonfiction Assignment

1. Memory Mappingfor “An Anthem For My Life”Creative Nonfiction Assignment English 126: Creative Writing

2. Think of a song (lyrical or musical). . . • . . . that you only now represents a period of your life. • Think of an experience from that period of your life that parallels the feelings or ideas the song inspires in you. Make it specific and continuous: limit it to one place and, perhaps, in the span of no more than an hour. • Draw, as basically as you can, a floor-plan of that place • Include by name at least three prominent physical features.

3. In your mind, . . . • Study the floor plan, close your eyes, and imagine yourself looking down, from overhead, into that space. • Zoom down into the middle of it. • Take a 360° tour of the space. Take note of • the smell of it • its quality of light • any characteristic sound (noises or silence)

4. Imagine holding a magnifying glass to certain details of this room or space.

5. Inspect these features and write a brief description for each of the following: • Look in one direction. What objects are there that strike you as strange or intriguing? Describe their physical features. • What can you feel with your hands, between your toes, against your cheek, etc., that’s unexpected? • Pick one object in the space that seems out of place to you, or which seems different to the mood of the space. • Describe it literally (use details and factual description) • Describe your feelings about it. • Describe it figuratively (use analogies and imagery)

6. Think of one other person besides yourself . . . • . . . not a companion animal or a figment of your imagination. • Place them in the space, actively doing something. • Describe how you feel about them. • Use these feelings to describe them engaged in the activity.

7. Now begin visualizing your own story. • What major issue or question do you have to address about your life? What internal conflict are you trying to resolve? • What are you doing in this space, yourself? • What are you preoccupied with? • What are you saying or doing with the person who’s in the space with you? • What moment, gesture, or decision seems to represent a turning point toward resolution? • What does that moment look and feel like? What signifies or gives away the fact that it’s a turning point?

8. Free-write! In ten minutes, write uninterrupted in a freely associative way about a the place, experience, and people you just memory-mapped. Try to capture a sense of the importance of what happened without actually disclosing or summarizing what that importance is.

9. Write a story! Use your free-writing as the starting point for a story that answers your Creative Nonfiction assignment. You may change anything you like, including choice of person and secret. You’re encouraged, however, to continue memory-mapping in order to explore more descriptive detail, narrative content, characterization, and dialogue. Remember, authenticity of voice and intention is important, so journal and free-write about why this story is important for you to tell.