Mining Your Memories
We’ve all experienced the transformative power of books. Besides being entertaining and fun, books can be a lifeline, a sacred refuge, an affirmation, and validation of our feelings, and our identity. Books are also wonderful tools to learn about peoples, cultures, and topics we’re unfamiliar with, to teach empathy and kindness, and to counter dehumanizing stereotypes and dispel negative myths.
Books are especially important and needed when there’s widespread misinformation or negative portrayals about certain minorities which create dangerous and dehumanizing stereotypes and misconceptions that lead to hate crimes like the one that sparked the idea for my debut book. I started writing In My Mosque the day the New Zealand mosque shootings were broadcast on the news. I was heartbroken by all the hate in the world, but I didn’t want the hate to paralyze me. I felt the urgency to help in some way, and for me that was by tapping into my personal experiences attending various mosques and sharing it with the world through my story in the hopes of highlighting our shared humanity and demystifying a much misunderstood and maligned topic.
Whether your stories originate from tragic current events, or fond family traditions, how can you mine your memories to write your own authentic story about something that’s personal and important to you? Here is a helpful writing exercise called mining your memories that I use to help me dig deep into my stories.
- Select an event from your childhood which conjure strong emotions when you think about it – can you feel the joy, the anger, or maybe even jealousy?
- Consider what the happiest, saddest, scariest, or most exciting day of your life was.
- Your memories can be based on big events such as a birth, a death, or perhaps moving. Or it can be small events like your first visit to the zoo or maybe getting your favorite pair of shoes.
- Now, jot down some notes about the experience:
- Who was involved?
- What was at stake?
- Where did it occur?
- What did you want?
- What did you learn?
- If others were involved, include dialogue. If not, include internal dialogue.
- Include sensory details like smell, taste, touch.
- If it’s too personal or emotional, try writing in the third person.
Once you’ve mined your memories, and written down the details, set a timer for approximately twenty minutes and write a quick first draft. This is a quick and dirty first draft. It doesn’t have to be perfect or complete. Just let it flow, giving yourself permission to play and not be too precious about your word choice or grammar, yet.
Once the first draft is done, then revise it to tailor the language to the age group and genre you want to write for. If it’s for a picture book age group, think about your 4–8-year-old audience. Which words, activities, and emotions would resonate with them? For example, in my picture book, I talk about how worshippers take off their shoes before going inside a mosque and the sensation of the carpet on their bare feet:
Or, how a child tries their best to pay attention but sometimes gets distracted:
Or, what we eat after prayers in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and how we play:
Now, put your thinking caps on and mine your personal treasure trove of memories to share with the world. Good luck!
Munevver Mindy Yuksel, writing under the pen name M.O. Yuksel, is the author of IN MY MOSQUE (HaperCollins, 2021), which received starred reviews from the School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection. She is also the author of the upcoming picture book biography titled ONE WISH, (HarperCollins, 2022) about Fatima al-Fihri, a 9th-century woman who pioneered the oldest university in the world in Fez, Morocco.
When not writing, M.O. Yuksel is usually on the soccer field cheering for her kids or traveling to exotic places and immersing herself in the local culture. She loves nature, bike riding, and indulging in shameless amounts of chocolate. Visit her online at www.moyuksel.com to find out more about her books.
Mindy is offering a copy of In My Mosque to one 12 x 12 member. Get your June draft written and work on a revision for a best chance of winning at the June check-in!
176 Responses
Thank you, Mindy, for this inspiring and thoughtful post. I appreciate the writing exercise to help mine our memories. I’m looking forward to reading your book. Congratulations!
Mindy you are so incredibly right. Even though we live in a world of TV and social media, nothing beats the feeling of reading a book and how it transports you into another world in your mind.
Also the tips on how to help you pull on memories were great and something I will definitely use.
Mindy… so happy to hear this. I remember well working/talking with you at a HIGHLIGHTS gathering on PB biographies a while ago and remember how excited you were about your book coming to light. This is great news.
Thank you for the great reminders, Mindy, especially the one to SIT for 20 minutes to write once you’ve done the mining! Lol
Thank you Mindy! Great advice. I also love how relatable you made being in a mosque for both children and adults who may not be familiar. Congratulations on your upcoming book!
Congratulations on your book, Mindy! And thank you for the excellent advice on mining our memories.
Thank you Mindy Yuksel for such an inspiring, informative post. Looking forward to reading In My Mosque. Congratulations!
I appreciate your suggestions and will take them to heart. Congratulations on IN MY MOSQUE. I can’t wait to read it.
I love this assignment! A moment from my childhood immediately sprang to mind. This book is so beautiful. Kudos to Hatem Aly for the illustrations. On hold at the library!
Thank you for your wonderful advice. I loved reading IN MY MOSQUE and seeing how relatable it is to other places of worship, including my synagogue. Such an important lesson for children. The illustrations are gorgeous too.
Congratulations on your beautiful book, Mindy! And thanks for this inspiring and helpful post.
Thank you for this suggestion! Just reading through your prompts reminded me of a childhood tradition with my dad that would make a fun pb. Can’t wait to draft it! And can’t wait to read your book!
Congratulations on your book. It is important, relevant and well timed and it looks amazing! It warms my heart to know your book and other books like it are out in the hands of children. I will keep an eye out for it.
Great advice about mining our own memories and it’s true… not all of our memories are good ones. It’s what we do with them that counts.
What an interesting concept and source of stories. I can’t wait to read your book.
Thanks for your wonderful ideas and guidance. Congratulations on a beautiful book.
Thanks for sharing Mindy! It looks like a beautiful book.
It seems really strange to say that it’s inspiring to see how you turned a tragic experience into this beautiful book. I’m glad you did. I hope your words will help change the world, one child at a time…and maybe it will help change their parents, too. One can hope. Congrats on your success!
Thank you for opening my mind to new possibilities in memories of my childhood and events that were minor or major and now looking back at them.
As you have demonstrated with this special story, we each have unique memories and experiences to share. Congratulations on your book and thanks for the writing exercise.
Great questions to ask self for creating a story from personal experiences. Thank you!
Congratulations on your book, Mindy! I look forward to reading it with my children. Thank you for the inspiring post!
This is a great writing exercise. Thank you for sharing!
I love that you gave us the tools and exercise to come up with our June draft. Thank you for sharing, Mindy!
Great tips on using memories of childhood events to spark ideas for stories!
I enjoyed IN MY MOSQUE, Mindy, and now I enjoyed learning how it came to be. Thank you for the tips and congratulations on your success!
Thank you Mindy for sharing a great tip for mining memories and congratulations on your book.
Mindy, your book looks beautiful! Congratulations! And thanks for the writing tips.
Thanks for the great post. Congratulations on your book! 🙂
Awesome tips on how to mine your childhood memories. Thanks for sharing and congrats on your book! I wish you continued success.
Mindy,
I read and thoroughly enjoyed your book In My Mosque. I’ve added it to the Children’s Literature Collection at the University of New Orleans and look forward to sharing it. I also look forward to the next book.
What a beautiful picture book! I look forward to reading it and learning more. Congratulations!
Wow, thank you for this, Mindy! I will use these great suggestions for crafting my next middle grade that is inspired by a real-life experience.
Mindy, your post inspired me to think about events in my childhood that have the potential of becoming a picture book. The questions you listed are very helpful to encourage the recall of details.
I appreciate your sensitivity to the child’s perspective in the way you developed your story.
Congratulations on your recently published book and your success as an author.
Congratulations on your book and thank you for the ideas on mining for ideas. I love thinking back to my childhood and writing stories roughly based on my past.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Mindy! Congratulations on this beautiful book!
Thank you Mindy for sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how this wonderful book came about.
Thank you for the wonderful suggestions. I feel a new draft coming soon! I enjoyed reading your story.
Thank you, Mindy, for a thoughtful–and useful–post. I enjoyed the mining exercise. It included some things I think about when I write family stories, but also had a few new things, which I shall promptly put to use. Another thing I do is to go through old family photo albums; so often a picture has helped spark a memory.
It’s good to see a variety of books on faith. Best of luck to you.
Great insight in how to mine our memories! Congrats on both books!
Thank you for validation of our personal experiences and being willing to share them. You are not fearful to share with others your life.
Mindy, sensing the undercurrent of passion behind your post reminds me of my recent visit to Egypt. Our personal guide became one of my closest friends. She and I connected on so many levels, especially when we visited her own mosque. I’m thrilled that you’ve transformed memorable memories into picture book stories so that children around the world can connect by learning about one another, not disconnect by fearing the unknown. I admire your tenacity and your hard work in translating your emotions and experiences into a child’s perspective. I’m looking forward to reading your book and recommending its purchase for our library. Sending your energy and inspiration for your continued writing journey…
Thank you for sharing your tips for using memories to write our stories. So many to choose from! Congrats on your book! It’s so needed out there. Good luck for continued success!
Wendy, thank you for your suggestions! Most of the topics about which I write are generated from childhood memories.
Thank you, Mindy! Your post was thoughtful and inspiring!
I’ve always struggled with this kind of advice as someone who has a terrible memory. But I’ve found that looking through old family photo albums can help. I may not remember how I felt in a specific moment as a kid, but I can conjure general vague feelings of “I enjoyed that” or “I didn’t enjoy that.” Just throwing that out there if anyone else is forgetful like me!
This book looks stunning, Mindy. I can’t wait to check it out. Thank you for sharing your story!
Great idea to look at past photos to recall special family times with story potential. Thanks for the idea.
Thank you, Mindy, for this post. Congratulations on your beautiful book!
I love this so much. Congratulations!
My kids had a happier/more interesting childhood than I did. I’m going to “steal” theirs!
It’s so impressive when people can channel negative emotions and turn that energy into something positive. It speaks to a person’s strength–your strength. And your book will be make such a positive impact. Thank you for sharing the story behind it and the exercise.
What an inspiring post, Mindy! Congratulations on your story, and for sharing how it came about.
Thank you for the great tips !
Wow! Yet another amazing article. Seriously, each month delivers exactly what I need to hear or apply. This was very well written and easily understandable. I have read some advice writing articles out there and felt more confused after. My very first picture book draft was a reflection on my journey living with a chronic illness, and since this is a heavy topic I made the protagonist into an animal who struggles to do something every other animal around her can do. Thanks, and I will check out your book! -Effie
Thanks for sharing your writing journey with us. Mining my memories brings back some great story ideas!!
Thanks for the helpful tips, Mindy. I’m excited to try this exercise!
Thank you for this post. My older brother and sister were adopted by my father when I was around five. Until then, I had no idea they were my half-siblings. In my heart, they have always been my whole, but I remember the pain this caused me as a child. The pain of the secret they kept from me. I think I should write about this! Thank you, and congrats on your book. It is beautiful!
Mindy, thank you for sharing your process on how to mine memories, dig deep, and transform them into meaningful, engaging stories. Congratulations for In My Mosque. Wow, the art is wonderful and I can’t wait to read it.
Digging deep into my childhood memories. Thanks for posing the questions I should ask while I delve. And congrats on MY MOSQUE. I look forward to reading it.
Thank you for this post, Mindy. It’s a wonderful reminder that tragedy can spur us to action. But also that there’s joy in the smallest moments, too. Congratulations on your book. I can’t wait to read it!
Thank you, Mindy, for your writing exercise about memories. These steps and details will be very helpful in some of my future books. And thank you for sharing your experiences. I’m looking forward to reading In My Mosque and One Wish.
Can’t wait to read this! Thank you for the useful exercise as well. A good reminder that you can set a timer and see what happens.
Thanks so much for your advice! As a former kindergarten teacher, not only my muslim students, but all of my students would have benefited from hearing your book read to them. Can’t wait to read it! Congratulations!
What a wonderful idea for a book and a great exercise. Thank you!
Thank you for your inspiring post. And for your practical writing prompt exercise. 🙂
Congratulations on your book and thanks for the great advice!
The mind is amazing; mine it for treasures to share. Congratulations and thank you for the post.
Mindy! Thank you for the Mining Memories exercise. A great reminder that we all have stories to tell!
Love this book, Mindy! So very glad it’s out in the world! And thx for all the great story writing, tips, too!
Excellent thoughts and exercises on Mining Memories. I especially appreciated your comments on using books to help learn about people, cultures, and topics we may be unfamiliar with. Thank you!
Thank you, Mindy! This is perfect timing. I am putting together a list of diverse picture books about religion for my upcoming nErD Camp talk in July. This will definitely make it on the list!
I’m always curious about other culture and wondered how to enter in Mosque just like I need to take shoes off in some temples in Japan. Thank you for embracing different culture in your picture book and your sincere post!
I’m always curious about other cultures and wondered how to enter a Mosque just like I need to take shoes off in some temples in Japan. Thank you for embracing different cultures in your picture book and your sincere post!
Thank you for this writing exercise, Mindy. Congratulations on your debut book!
wow I really love everything about this! your purpose, your process and this beautiful book and important story!
Mindy, what a gorgeous, important book you’ve written! Thanks for the tips on mining memories (such a fantastic phrase!)
Thank you for the very practical tips on mining our memories… wonderful! And congratulations on a beautiful pb!
Thank you for the tips on mining your memories. Cate Barry suggested something similar with funny moments but I hadn’t thought to use the same techniques for other significant childhood memories.
Thank you, Mindy for making the world a better place with your debut book! I look forward to reading it.
The book looks absolutely gorgeous, and I love the memory-mining exercise, thanks!
A powerful post! Thank you for sharing.
Great post, Mindy!! Thank you for giving us tips on how to mine our childhood memories for ideas. I look forward to reading both “In My Mosque” and “One Wish.”
I love the idea of using childhood memories… but I love the idea of taking a negative (incredibly horrific) event and using it to fuel a beautiful story.
Thank you for your great advice. This is so lovely.
What a beautiful introduction to your faith. Thank you!
Thank you Mindy for sharing your exercise with us. Your ideas of taking a memory and then changing it to what a kid would want is a great idea. Your book looks great!
Thank you for the guidance on mining our memories. You reminded me of one I ought to try to write.
I look forward to reading your book! So appreciate your encouraging advice.
Terrific advice, and I loved the sneak peek of your book! Can’t wait to read it in its entirety!
Thank you for sharing. This is truly a beautiful book.
Thank you Mindy for the insights in writing from a child’s perspective – “mining your memories”. Great reminder to use what we have already.
Congratulations on your book. And thank you for the “mining memories” exercise. I’m excited to get the book for my grandchildren and to try mining my memories.
This book looks lovely. Thank you for the great read. I find it very inspiring.
These are such great tips, and I am going to try them. Thank you!
Congratulations Mindy. I’m planning to do your prompt and perhaps it will lead me to something wonderful!
In My Mosque is a beautiful book and your story about writing it. I appreciate your suggestions for mining memories for story ideas. Thanks!
Your book looks beautiful. Thank you for sharing helpful advice with us.
Love the specific suggestions for drafting and revising. Can’t wait to read your beautiful book!
So happy for you, Mindy! Love this book!
Love your specific suggestions for drafting and revising. Can’t wait to read your beautiful book!
Thanks so much for sharing this process to “mine” our memories and write a 20-minute draft!
Thank you so much for sharing the story behind your beautiful book. Also, thank you for the writing exercise. I do constantly battle against my inner editor..it’s impossible for me to sit down and write a first dirty draft. But I will give a try to the 20-minute draft, hopefully, that will do the trick!
Mindy,
Thank you for your insightful post and inspirational writing prompt. Congratulations on your wonderful book!
I have to get this book for my classroom! Thanks for sharing and congratulations for this accomplishment 🙂
Kelly Perkins
Thank you for the inspiring post! Also, congratulations on your book, Mindy!
Congratulations on your two new books Mindy! The illustrations are very cute for IN MY MOSQUE.
Thank you for the tips on Memory Mining! I am excited to try your exercise.
Best wishes!
Yes I want to mine my memories. Thanks for the questions.
Sue
Thank you for sharing this healing process.
You have given a wealth of great writing advice. I love your ideas about diversity and the impact of seeing diverse stories for children.
Thank you for sharing this important message!
As an elementary school counselor, I am working hard to create an inclusive environment – this book is so needed and truly beautiful! Well done!
I really enjoyed your post and will be using your exercise to do some mining of my own personal memories. Thank you so much for posting and best wishes for your book.
So much thought and love obviously went into this book. Congrats! 🙂 Loved the memory exercise, too!
Congrats! Your suggestions for pulling stories out of past experiences are something I’ve done for several of my manuscripts. I hope someday they can be read by my own children.
Thank you fir these idea gathering tools.
Thank you for this wonderful prod to think of our own personal stories. Thank you, too, for you beautiful story.
A wonderful post, Mindy. Thanks for the great advice on how to tap into your childhood memories. Congrats on the lovely book.
Mindy, I saw this book on Twitter and asked our Curriculum Director to purchase multiple copies for our school last spring. It is beautiful, and should be coming to our school soon! Thanks for sharing your journey!
Lovely post, Mindy. Thank you for the exercise to help mine our memories! I’m going to try it!
I’m mining my memories for my current work-in-progress, and it feels so much more real and full of heart than much of my other writing. Thanks for sharing the exercise you undertake to get the most of your memories.
This book looks so lovely! Congrtulations, Mindy!
Mindy –
I’m always looking for way to go inside my characters. Your post will be added to my collection!! Thank you for sharing!
Mindy, thank you for sharing.
Congratulations, Mindy! Thank you for the inspirational advice to mine your memories. Looking forward to reading IN MY MOSQUE!
Congratulations on the launch of your new book! You are such an inspiration! Thank you for sharing some of your tips in mining our memories. It is a great exercise to do! I Looking forward to reading IN MY MOSQUE!
Thanks. I particularly liked the list of things to think about when preparing the story. Best of luck with your book.
I always like to hear the journey of a story, even if it’s a painful one. Looking forward to reading your book.
I am so happy for this wonderful book! The artwork is beautiful. I look forward to reading it. Thank you for sharing suggestion on how to mine our memories and experiences.
Thank you for this thoughtful and inspirational post, Mindy!
Thank you for helping me trigger memories to help in my writing exercises. Nice writing.
This is so helpful – I will definitely use this writing prompt. Thank you for sharing! Can’t wait to read your beautiful book!
Love Mindy’s writing tips on mining your own “history” and then setting a timer for 20 minutes to write the sloppy first draft. I”m giving try that.
Congratulations on this book! And thanks for the tips!
Thank you for the helpful tips. I took notes and look forward to putting your suggestions into action (words on the page!).
Beautiful story, Mindy! Thanks for sharing.
What a great post, Mindy! Love all the steps to figure out how to find the story in our experiences. Thanks for sharing with us.
Congratulations! I love the idea of mining memories. Your suggestions are fantastic.
Thank you for your ideas!
I love Memory Mining. 🙂 Congrats on your book AND the starred reviews!
I can’t wait to delve into the exercise. Congrats on the book and best wishes for continued success.
Thank you Mindy- using your questions/prompts to help with a manuscript I just wrote!
Mindy, thanks for making a first draft sound so achievable.
Thank you for these quick and easy steps, Mindy! This post was a great reminder of all the fuel we already have in our own life experiences. I love when picture books show life from the point of view of a child and can’t wait to read your book!
Thank you, Mindy, for sharing your journey. You have inspired me to do my own *mining memories* session. Congrats on your debut!
What a great post! Thanks so much for sharing and challenging us!
Thank you for writing this book (and what beautiful illustrations!!). I’ve been on the outside of many mosques, peeking inside, and wondering about all the sights and sounds and experiences on the inside. What a powerful gift to give children and those who read to them. Thanks also for the practical but powerful exercise in mining too. Congrats!
What a beautiful book! Thank you for sharing your strategy for mining memories!
Thank you for the post and your beautiful book.
Your book is lovely. I look forward to reading. Thank you for the tips on writing from our memories.
Great suggestions and your book looks beautiful Mindy. Sending you all good wishes!
Thank-you, Monday for the Memory Mining exercise. I’d love to read your book and also the inside of a mosque.
Great post, Mindy! Thank you for sharing Memory Mining exercise. Will try these steps to rattle my brain to unearth whatever I buried deep in my memory well. Congrats on your book!
Great list of questions, Mindy. Such a helpful jump start. Love your examples from your book.
What a useful and inspiring post! I’m saving the mining memories activity for future writing cuz memories are “so me”!
Thanks for the inspiration. Love the book.
Thanks for the inspiration! Love the book.
What an amazing book, and thank you so much for sharing your process!
This looks beautiful! I can’t wait to read it. And thank you for the wonderful inspiration. You gave me an idea. =-)
Thank you so much, Mindy. As they say, timing is everything, and just this morning I woke up with a childhood memory and want to turn it into a picture book. Your steps to mine our memories are just what I need to move forward with that.
Congratulations on your picture book. It looks beautiful!!
Thank you Mindy for your great advice. I love how you relatable you made being in a mosque to children, and adults, who may not be familiar. Congratulations on your upcoming book!
Congratulations on your debut, Mindy. It looks gorgeous! I am going to go search for a copy after I write this comment 🙂 Thank you, too, for sharing your exercise on mining memories. Taking the time to think about the past will surely conjure up a lot of good material for a picture book!
Thank you for the thoughtful post, the inspiring exercise and your beautiful book!
I love how you took the simple act of removing shoes and added in the sensation of the carpet on bare feet. So key to the beginning of a ritual. Nicely done!
Thank you for telling us about your process. My best ideas seem to come from real life–in one form or another. You have inspired me to dig deeper into those memories. Good luck to you as you publish.
Loved the exercise you describe! Definitely going to try it for my own writing.
The beauty of the phrase “aunties hijabs sway like a sea of flowers as we move through our prayers…”. Such a beautiful and child like way to celebrate the hijab and prayer! Thanks for sharing your advice and your beautiful words!
Thank you so much for your wonderful suggestions on writing about one’s own personal experiences. Writing comes from the heart.
Thank you for your words. I love the tip to write in the third person if the memory is too personal.
Mindy, Thank You so much for sharing your writing / publishing journey. This story is important to help all people learn and understand the different cultures that share our planet. Best wishes on getting this story into the hands of children. I am a Tutor at the Boys and Girls Club and plan to share this story with my students.
Mindy, thanks for this post. Love your insights and exercise.
Thanks for this Mindy! I love the quick list of questions to expand on the moment or memory that comes to mind – I caught a new story idea while reading about yours!
Thank you for sharing.
Love this post, Mindy, especially the “get a first draft down in 20 minutes.” No overthinking!
T
Thanks, Mindy, for such great ideas on mining my memories. I’ve found lots more ideas than I thought possible!!
Christina L.