One good way to begin writing, or to get into writing mode, is to write an interview of yourself or another eGenerations member. After all, we’re an important group: everyday people who make the world what it is. You’ve all seen, heard, and read celebrity interviews. Sometimes we’re far more fascinating than the so-called celebrities. Aren’t most of us more likely to tell the truth?

Through the magic of exchanging private messages on eGenerations, you can ask any member to agree to an interview, and then ask him or her a few questions. You might also interview an over-50 friend or relative in person. For a few examples, scroll through Seniorwriter’s Journal for the Fascinating Seniors and Fascinating Boomers and Fascinating eGeneration Members entries. I’ve written about Val and Mollie and Ladyj and Texasmimi, as well as my own brother and mother. A personal note: my brother is not a member; he’s too busy riding his motorcycle (at age 72). My mother is now deceased.

How to proceed? If you want to get a head start on writing your life story, why not interview yourself? Aneway and Mollie and Pd and I have done so and posted the results here in our journals or memoirs, and perhaps others have done so by now as well. Read what others have written. The interview questions below should work for interviewing yourself as well as others.

If you know something about a member from reading posts on this site, you may have some special questions. Do you share an area of interest or experience or expertise? Do you live in the same part of the country–or does he or she live in a different area or a different country you’d like to learn more about?

Here are the kinds of questions I often ask when interviewing those I do not know personally. Of course no one is obligated to answer all of them, and the list of possibilities is endless.

1. Where do you live: city or town or farm, neighborhood, type of house or apartment, other places you’ve lived? What are the advantages and disadvantages of living there? How do you like it?

2. Describe your career or job (past and/or present), interests, hobbies, activities, daily routine, etc.

3. Describe your family and favorite family activities, past or present.

4. What are your preferences in and experiences with computers? Your favorite web sites?

5. Do you have any favorite photos you’d like to share?

I’ve already presented our Editor’s six suggested interview questions in the Writers Forum, but here they are again:

1. What’s your most challenging life experience?

2. If you could re-do something in your life, what would it be?

3. Have you done any traveling? If so, where?

4. What life lesson have you learned that is most important to you?

5. What’s your favorite pastime?

6. What “odd” thing about you don’t most people know?

Of course there is some overlapping among the two sets of questions, and many others are possible. Pick just one or two questions, or a whole set, or a combination; it depends on your interests and your preferences.

Some practical advice:

This site is still undergoing improvements, and many of you have asked where to post your interviews, and what’s the difference between memoirs and journals, and when and where interviews will be featured. I can’t answer those questions, but I can suggest that you simply post your interviews and your other writing in your journal and/or your memoir, as you’ve been doing. I also hope you keep copies of everything you write; you may want to collect your writings in book or booklet form some day, and I’ll have advice on several ways to do that soon.

I have proposed that memoirs and journals be combined under “Life Writing”; after all, whether we write about fascinating people or childhood memories and experiences or daily challenges or our views about current events or political decisions and how they affect us, or whatever, we’re documenting our lives, telling our life stories.

Finally, a last bit of advice: go to the Writers Forum often. Right now, that’s the place to post your questions about writing and let people know where they can find your contributions. Alert me when you’ve written something, and I will read it. I don’t always have time to read all the journals or memoirs, but I always go the Writers Forum. You don’t need to consider yourself a “real writer” to join! Communicate with me here, too. Don’t let the Comments section remain empty!