Weeks after Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us (a series about the Central Park Five) debuted on Netflix, folks are still talking about it. And DuVernay tweeted that more than 23 Netflix million accounts worldwide have seen the series—making WTSU, the most watched program in the streaming service’s history. Let that marinate for a hot second.
That’s the power of telling OUR stories.
And as everyone added his and her thoughts on the series and experiences with the criminal justice/injustice system to the mix (i.e.conversation), an editor at Bustle.com asked me to write an essay about growing up during that time.
I was 16 at the time the Central Park Five (now known as the Exonerated Five) were sentenced to jail,
That assignment inspired me to teach a class about I used my memories to write that essay, which brought up some painful memories. Whenever I write, I always start with some notes. Just immediate feelings about the subject and ideas that I don’t want to forget.
The first three things I wrote down were:
- The unforgettable Daily News headline with the word “wilding” splattered across the front page
- How NYC back in the 1980s was so different from NYC now—there wasn’t a Starbucks on every corner
- About being a mother of an 18-year-old son and how what happened in 1989 can happen in 2019
In the video above, I share four tips for using your memories to write an essay or memoir. Hint: Your POV (point of view) is huge.
>>> Hang out with me via Yeah Write with Taiia Smart Young on FB for free writing classes, challenges, interviews and tips.
Reading is super sexy, so check out:
>> Want to write juicy dialogue? Start here.
>> Do what you say you are going to do, i.e. hold yourself accountable to your writing goals.
>> Stop overthinking your writing process. If you don’t, you’ll never start writing.
