Your Life in a Transcript by Karen Lange

Your Life in a Transcript
By Karen Lange

Part of my work with homeschoolers includes helping parents create high school transcripts. The process includes compiling and documenting a student's work for the high school years. This summary becomes a polished transcript that is used for college, job applications, etc.

These transcripts are a reflection of a student's life through high school. Not a total reflection (for they do not show character traits such as kindness and patience), but these transcripts do help a student move into the next part of their life. Of course, the writer in me takes this concept a step further. What do our lives reflect that can translate into writing? If we think in transcript terms, we can boil our life down to subjects and hours accrued, volunteer and other activities, specialized training, jobs, and more. Whether we realize it or not, we each have a rich past from which to draw.

Think of all the possible avenues that you could write about. Are you a stay at home mom? A counselor, volunteer, or big brother or sister? Are you interested in sports, sewing, or stamp collecting? Do you have contracting, legal, or automotive experience? Are you a movie or antique car buff? There are trade magazines, ezines, newsletters, websites, and other publications for all the items that make up your life's transcript.

It might help to make a list of things that you have done - past and present, and maybe even things you'd like to do in the future. Include who you are - mom, grandpa, sister, uncle, only child - and include every relationship you can think of. You may be an only child but you are probably a cousin, godparent, friendly neighbor, or dozens of other things. Include your interests, hobbies, awards, and special certifications, anything that you can think of. I am sure your list will include many things that you can write a story about, generate an interview idea, or produce a how-to article. Why not start that list and get your very own transcript? Be prepared, you'll probably be adding to the list regularly, as you live, interact with people, and write.

What writing possibilities might spring from your life's transcript?

Karen Lange is a freelance writer, an online writing instructor, and the author of Homeschool Co-ops 101. Connect with Karen on her blog, karenelange.blogspot.com, on Twitter – KLELange, on her Facebook author page, https://www.facebook.com/authorkarenlange.