For the rest of this week, go through your story cards. See if you can identify the setting, plot, characters, conflict, and theme of each. Don't overthink this, but just be aware of whether it is a complete story or if not, if it can be made into a story. Can story fragments be combined to tell a complete story? Is this a story or a report? 

For the rest of this week, go through your story cards. See if you can identify the setting, plot, characters, conflict, and theme of each. Don't overthink this, but just be aware of whether it is a complete story or if not, if it can be made into a story. Can story fragments be combined to tell a complete story? Is this a story or a report?

For the rest of this week, go through your story cards. See if you can identify the setting, plot, characters, conflict, and theme of each. Don't overthink this, but just be aware of whether it is a complete story or if not, if it can be made into a story. Can story fragments be combined to tell a complete story? Is this a story or a report? 

This week's exercises are meant to get you in the story mindset. The better you understand what a story is, the more interesting your writing will be. 

Grab your stack of story cards, in any order. (You will be working on this part of the process all week.)

Pick up a story card, any one, and ask yourself these questions:

Grab your stack of story cards, in any order. (You will be working on this part of the process all week.)

Pick up a story card, any one, and ask yourself these questions:

Grab your stack of story cards, in any order. (You will be working on this part of the process all week.)

Pick up a story card, any one, and ask yourself these questions:

Grab your stack of story cards, in any order. (You will be working on this part of the process all week.)

Pick up a story card, any one, and ask yourself these questions:

Grab your stack of story cards, in any order. (You will be working on this part of the process all week.)

Pick up a story card, any one, and ask yourself these questions:

Continue to quickly read through your stories and write any impressions on the corresponding your story card. Do you see any themes or common threads? 

Continue to quickly read through your stories and write any impressions on the corresponding your story card.

Continue to quickly read through your stories and write any impressions on the corresponding your story card. Also, be thinking of any themes or common threads that appear in your stories, and jot them down.

Continue to quickly read through your stories and write any impressions on the corresponding your story card.

This week you will be working with your story cards. (You should have an index card with a title or short description on each story or writing segment.) Pick one at random and read the story through quickly. Don't edit or change anything at this point, just read...

Now that you have a stack of index cards, look them over and think about the stories you've written so far, and the ones you still have yet to write. Look at your purpose, audience, and scope questions from Tuesday's exercise. Do any themes come to mind? Can you see any unifying threads among your stories? If you think of any, write them down.

Continue to create an index card for each story, segment, or writing exercise you have completed. (All you need on the index card is a title or a few-word reminder.) Look for what's missing--important stories or events that you haven't yet written about. Write a title or reminder on a card for each of these.

Here's a pen-to-paper exercise that will help you visualize what you've already written. Even if (or especially if) your stories are stored electronically, this can help you: Grab a stack of index cards. On the front of each card, jot a title for each story, segment, or writing exercise you have completed. (The title doesn't have to be clever, just a few words to remind you of what the story is about.) If you happen to think of any other stories that you need to write but haven't yet written, make a card for each. 

Write about these three questions: 

1) What do you hope to accomplish by writing your stories? (Purpose) 2) Who are you writing it for? Who do you hope will read it? (Audience) 3) What time period or theme of your life do you want to cover? (Scope)

If you started with us at the beginning, you've been writing your life stories for the better part of a year. Now it's time to assess what you've written and begin to put it together into a narrative. From this point on, we will be giving you weekly assignments and tips to help along the way.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: It's up to you how you want to use your writing time this week. Click through for ideas.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: It's up to you how you want to use your writing time this week. Click through for ideas.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: It's up to you how you want to use your writing time this week. Click through for ideas.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: It's up to you how you want to use your writing time this week. Click through for ideas.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: It's up to you how you want to use your writing time this week. Click through for ideas.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: It's up to you how you want to use your writing time this week. Click through for ideas.

Today, write about something you missed earlier in the week. Or pick something from your timeline and write about it. 

Write a statement that describes your life using exactly six words. (Hemingway famously claimed he could write a novel using only six words: "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.") More examples: "How did I get so lucky?" "Not quite what I had planned." Here's one of mine: "The best stories are hard won." If you have time left, you can explain further what it means. Feel like sharing? Post yours in comments below!

Have you been involved with some kind of service to your community? How has that affected you and what have you learned from your experiences with your community?

Write about your sense of humor. Who in your family influenced you in that way? What kinds of things do you find funny? What is the funniest thing you've ever witnessed?