As you organize your photos for your albums, you notice gaps in what you photographed. You remember events that you didn’t even photograph at all– perhaps you weren’t there or perhaps you were too busy to take photos.

Notice Gaps In Your Collection of Photos?

As you organize your photos for your albums, you notice gaps in what you photographed–in other words, the photos you don’t have. You remember events that you didn’t even photograph at all– perhaps you weren’t there or perhaps you were too busy to take photos.

You can ask around to find if anyone took photos you might have copies of. And what if no one has photos to record a time or a person in your life that you simply must memorialize? What to do?

You can write a Cameo Narrative. These are short narrative texts, usually 50-150 words, that you write into your albums to tell a brief story of an event or a person or an action.

To assure it is your life and not your photos (or lack of them) that are at the core of the lifestory you record in your photo album, start with a Memory List.

A Memory List includes everything and anything you did, said, thought or felt and of everything or everyone who was (or was not) present, photographed or not photographed.

September 6, 1994, the fire that took my parents’ house – The windows bursting from the heat, flames shooting out the windows – first on the east side and then the west – the firefighters hosing the neighbors’ houses – the roof caving in – my parents watching from the other side of the street – the maples being singed – Mother saying, “The gladiola would have been so beautiful this year”…

The Memory List makes your writing easier. Why? Creating the list stimulates you to recall the many details that make writing a cinch! In compiling the list, you will also sense what to include and how to include it. For instance, remembering a preponderance of conversation cues you to supplement your missing photos with dialog (instead of description).

If you kept a journal or have letters or anything written (newspaper clippings?), go back to crosscheck your Memory List with what is written down. Crosscheck too by asking others what they remember. (But do your own list first: that keeps you in contact with what is important to you.)

Write For Your Photos

Once you are satisfied you have remembered as much as possible, it’s time to write a Cameo Narrative. Here are some suggestions how to write:

1. Ask yourself: “What are the most important things I want to tell about the period or persons for which I have no photos?” Trust your intuition here. Often the first thoughts that come to mind are the most significant. Don’t worry just now about style, grammar, or whether your writing’s good enough. (That comes later.)
2. Write as short or as long a piece as you want to.
3. Keep each Cameo Narrative focused on one person, idea, setting, or action. If you want to write something else about that person or action or idea, draft a new cameo narrative.
4. Write in short simple sentences. Don’t worry about being fancy as you put ideas and words together. Simple is often best. Keeping sentences short helps you write clearly. It’s not true that complicated writing has more meaning.

Read Part II here:

When You Must Have The Photos You Don’t Have/How To Journal Without The Photos, Part II

For additional information about how to write for your photos pick up a copy of our PhotoScribe book, available in The Memoir Network store.