How to explore water in my life story or memoir

Newborn babies consist of 70-83% of water. Bodies of water like the sea have an irresistible pull for most humans. We consume two to three liters of water a day and we cleanse ourselves in the gentle caress of water. How do I explore water in my life story or memoir?

THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING

As a setting: consider your circumstances and where you live. What role has water, rivers or the sea played in your life? Has it been a motivating force in your actions and interactions? If so, use it!

AUSTRALIAN WRITER TIM WINTON AND THE SEA

In an interview with Tim Winton, by Vivien Love, his love for the ocean is clear: “Tim Winton has nearly drowned several times, but he’s still drawn to the ocean. The acclaimed author features water in several of his award-winning novels, including Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath.”

What does Winton have to say about the sea and why he is irresistibly drawn to it?

“Freedom,” he says promptly, then pauses to consider how he can elaborate.

“It’s a really big canvas; so much is going on and it’s never the same. When you’re in the water you’re almost weightless and that’s freedom from gravity. I find it endlessly exciting.

“Let’s face it, you do nine months as a free diver in your mother’s womb; you belong to a planet that’s mostly water; your body is mostly water.

“I don’t think there’s any mystery why we would be drawn to it – I think there’s some kind of ancestral yearning. We all came from water. It feels like home.”

YOUR OWN MEMOIR, THE OLD MAN, AND THE SEA

Winton is by far not the only writer who uses the sea in an almost autobiographical way when writing; Ernest Hemingway will be remembered for it.

“The historical significance of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea is that it was the last published work of the Nobel Prize winning author before he took his own life. The Old Man and the Sea won Hemingway the Pulitzer Prize in 1952.”

What did Hemingway write about?

“The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an epic struggle between an old, seasoned fisherman and the greatest catch of his life. For eighty-four days, Santiago, an aged Cuban fisherman, has set out to sea and returned empty-handed. So conspicuously unlucky is he that the parents of his young, devoted apprentice and friend, Manolin, have forced the boy to leave the old man to fish in a more prosperous boat. Nevertheless, the boy continues to care for the old man upon his return each night.”

SYMBOLIC MEANING OF WATER AND THE SEA

When you write about water, always remember that it has symbolic meaning. You can explore this and apply it in your life story or memoir. Herewith a few quotes from the book A Dictionary of Symbols to get your imagination going:

“The ocean as a whole, as opposed to the concept of a drop of water, is a symbol of universal life as opposed to the particular.”

“In keeping with the general symbolism of water, both fresh and salt, the ocean stands for the sum of possibilities on one plane of existence.”

“The ocean is also to be found as a symbol of woman or the mother (in both her benevolent and her terrible aspects).”

“The symbolic significance of the sea corresponds to waters in flux and by analogy life and death. The water of the sea is seen not only as the source of life but also as its goal. To return to the sea is to return to the mother, which is to die.”

I WANT TO EXPLORE THE THEME OF WATER IN MY LIFE STORY

So, let’s get flowing! As an author coach I can assist you with your exploration of the theme of water in your writing.