How to Write a Memorable Mnemonic Story

Let's link the word "あるく" (pronounced "ah-roo-koo") to its meaning: "to walk".

Here's our first attempt, using the linkword "ark":

On its own, that would be a pretty weak mnemonic. While it might be somewhat vivid and memorable to you now, you may forget the association at some point. One end of the association is strong: When hearing あるく, you probably will think of "ark", which will probably make you think of Noah. But will you remember that the meaning was "to walk"?

To improve the mnemonic you could have Noah walking around the ark examining it or walking out the length of the ark, but both of those have the possibility of confusing you with the words "inspect" or "measure".

Focus on the essence of what "to walk" means to you or think of a way of linking Noah and/or the ark to the very clear, unmistakable act of walking. Then, add vivid detail. Don't be afraid to make the story weird or ridiculous. For example:

It may seem that we've actually introduced even more ways to confuse your memory, but as long as the details of the story enhance the essence of the meaning "to walk", you'll have a much better chance remembering it (even if you remember all of the silly details first).

Use Concrete Objects

The more concrete an object is, the easier it is to write a linkword story for it. Writing about "trees" is much easier than writing about "agreements".

When you can, use a concrete manifestation to embody an abstract word (as long as you don't introduce ambiguity). For example, an "agreement" is not a very concrete object. It could be a verbal agreement, a shake of hands, an unspoken agreement, or a legal contract. To give "agreement" a concrete form, you could embody it as a written agreement. This makes it much easier to picture and embellish.

Each time you introduce imagery, you have to be wary of ambiguity. You don't want your "argeement" to turn into a "contract", even though the meanings are similar (in fact, avoid using the word "contract" anywhere in your story). Think about what the essence of an agreement is and what would make it different from a contract in written form. Here are some ideas:

• Contracts tend to be between 2 entities. An agreement is often made between more.
• Contracts tend to be 1-sided. Agreements are usually arrived at together.
• Contracts tend to be formal and long-lived. Agreements are more informal and temporary in nature.

Using the above, you could enhance the image of the agreement by:

• Have more than 2 signatures on it—maybe 3 or 5.
• Have it be written by hand by more than 1 person, rather than typed up beforehand.
• Have everyone shake hands over the agreement after signing it, smiling.

Use Your Imagination

If you think your story is too ridiculous or too silly, it's probably good enough to be memorable. If it's not ridiculous or silly, it might not be as good as you think.

You're not trying to win a writing award, you want the story to stick.

Think about the advertisements you see on TV. Most have been created by companies devoted to getting you to remember products. How many of them have silly animated characters, ridiculous premises, or imaginative settings?

Repetition: A Double-Edged Sword

Don't let the sword become a crutch.

Repetition is a useful tool, and one that you might find yourself using more than any other.

Like drums in a rock band, it holds the story together, but it can't stand alone. And when it's overused, it's annoying.

Mnemonics Can Be Long

...as long as they're not ambiguous.

A story does not need to be short to be memorable. In fact, the opposite can be true. The more detail that you put into a story, the more connections it creates in the reader's brain. Brains work on associations, and detailed stories lead to more associations.

The challenge is to add detail without introducing ambiguity. Balancing on this delicate line takes practice.

Your Main Adversary: Ambiguity

Specific words overpower general ones.

While writing linkword stories, you'll be locked in a constant fight between imagery and ambiguity.

Be especially careful of the words you use in the introduction and conclusion of your story (especially the last sentence).

Deliver a Memorable Punchline

We tend to remember the beginning and end of a story more than the middle. Make use of this by putting your translation and/or linkword into those positions. Ideally you begin your story with the linkword and put the translation in the punchline.

With a good introduction and a powerful punchline we reduce the risk of ambiguity in the story.

Activate as Many Senses as Possible

Say that your linkword was "dough". Pizza dough would be a concrete representation. But Play-Doh might be even better. Since many of us played with it at a young age, we're more likely to remember its vivid colors, unique texture and interesting smell (and possibly taste, depending on how you played with Play-Doh).

What to Do if You're Stuck

It might take a while before you can easily create memorable mnemonics. Don't worry. They will come more easily with time.

It's helpful to start writing as soon as you have a linkword, even if you think the mnemonic's not that great. You can always scrap or change your story later.

You'll find that as you begin writing what you thought was a weak mnemonic, the very act of writing activates other regions of your mind, giving you more ideas for embellishment. It seems to be an unfailing trait of the mind that it is very hard to drag ideas from it when staring at a blank page, but that the ideas begin to flow freely once the first word is laid down.

Writing Good Mnemonics Takes Practice

Fortunately, spaced repetition gives us feedback on how well our mnemonics work. By writing mnemonics for words you want to learn, and then studying those words, you can learn from your own experience what works well and what doesn't.

What to Avoid

Balance Vividness and Ambiguity

Avoid introducing similar meanings in the story if possible. This may be unavoidable in some cases where in English we don't distinguish between 2 meanings. In that case, don't worry about it. Experience will eventually differentiate the meaning. It's better to have some idea of what a word means initially, so that you can learn the nuance of its meaning through reading and listening.

Try using a less-recognizable form of a word if you need to use a comparison. For example, if you're trying to write a story for みず ➝ water, instead of using the word "rain" use "downpour", "drenching", or another word that emphasizes water more than weather.

Other Notes

Make sure that you're conveying the correct meaning of the word. Look through some example sentences in the dictionary to make sure that you're not mistranslating the word or applying native-language meanings that don't apply to the foreign-language word. This is especially important for short, common words.