Chronological? Story Telling? Other?

I'm not chronological nor am I a storyteller scrapper, I just scrapbook what I feel like scrapping. I'm not caught up with anything and don't really care that I'm behind. I'm always in awe of people who are caught up!

That being said:



This is what I would suggest too, if I were in your situation, I would go through my albums and see if there's any bigger story I could tell with some of the older photos.

I did project life for 4 years, in 6x8. I'm in a (apparently long) slump, and I think I'm done with project life. My life now doesn't lend to that particular way any more. Which is ok. But what I (eventually) will go back to, is my 6x8 Short Stories album. There, I just told what I felt like. But I have a large cache of photos to work with, though. They are just 6x8 layouts, no pockets. Some definitely even have more than one photo. I don't necessarily think you have to have photos in reserve. Maybe if you come across some really good photos in your project life scrapping, print out a few extra to have to tell some other stories. And you don't even have to have photos all the time, either. Or say, if you want to tell a story about your running, maybe have a photo of your favorite trail or route ahead of time. Good luck with it.

I think there are many styles and ways to scrapbook, and there is no right or wrong.
It's what each indivual scrapbooker prefers and what works best for them personally.

I am a chronological scrapbooker, and I have been since I started(October 1996).
Everything pertaining to my life goes in the scrapbook....day to day, travels, night out with friends, cat, Auntie-Niece dates, work stuff, High School friends gatherings, bbq, someones birthday party, Weddings, day at the whatever arts and crafts type festival, etc...
I do >> 8.5 x 11. 3 ring binders(the kind with a front cover insert, I make a page layout for the cover) and sheet protectors.
I scrapbook each year chronologically from January to December. Some years fill two scrapbooks(Jan-June and July-Dec).
I use stickers, die cuts, mix and match patterned papers, frames, mat my photos, brighter bolder colors, very little pastel or vintage. 

I like continuity and symmentry, so I will never change sizes or style of scrapbooks(binders).

I very rarely go out of chronological order. The only time I do, is if I need what I call a "filler page" >> one random layout to fill in a gap so a two page layout can stay side by side and not be back to back in the scrapbook the page flow. Filler pages a usually a page about my cat or something random, that particular photo(s) are usually out of chronological order by a week or two.

The only separate scrapbook I have is my scrapbook style journal. 
This contains, my writings, my bucket list, quotes-sayings-pieces  of writing that someone else wrote, personal therapy journaling, etc...

My scrapbook journal is private and not available for others to view.
My regular scrapbooks are available for viewing in my home or if I bring one to a gathering. My scrapbooks are NOT available for borrowing, meaning my scrapbooks do not leave my custody(that is not negotiable!).
If someone wants to copy a few pages, I will gladly meet someone at the copy store to do so. Years ago, I loaned a Family member a set of film negatives, and never got them back, despite asking for them back numerous times. Lesson learned! 

I don't (currently) scrapbook anything that's not a trip we've taken.

The scrapbooks for our trips are in order by what we did each day.

I said currently above because I'm about to start a scrapbook of all of the ticketed events we've gone to together. Those will all be chronological, but also in different "categories" and then in date order within the category (ex., hockey games [98% of the scrapbook], basketball, etc.).

I want to start making a yearly scrapbook each year simply because I love scrapbooking and want to do more than just the trips we've taken. I was planning on starting this venture in 2020 since we both turned 30, but that went by the way side, and now it's already September 2021. Hopefully I can actually make it stick and do it for 2022.

I scrapbook in whatever strikes my fancy order. 😀

My twins are are 14 and their first year album is half finished. Over the past week I scrapbooked photos from 2009, 2014 and mid August of this year.

I scrapbook PL in chrono order. It is current through July 2021. This is in addition to my 12x12 albums.

I only scrapbook (full size 12x12) photos that evoke emotion or memories or have a story to tell. I rarely scrap birthdays, events, holiday. Those are tedious and dull for me. I’m more likely to put those type of events in PL.

I do make December Daily and Week In The Life Albums.

This is very similar to how I scrapbook too. I do Project Life monthly; and special events or jut really good pictures get their own 12x12 layout, which I put as inserts into the Project Life album for that year. 

I have a bunch of AE story kits from when I signed up for a year sub back when I thought I would be a story-teller scrapper. I love the look and the style and how others pull it off, but found it wasn't for me. My plan is to use a smaller album just for the story kits.

No apologies necessary! 
It's all good! Everyone scrapbooks they way they want to and that is very okay.
I was just explaining my way of scrapbooking and why. 

I am not up to date, and I probably never will be. I scrapbook whatever photos I feel like scrapping, and then I place them chronologically wherever they go in my albums. I have a work in progress binder album for the layouts in progress, then eventually they get moved to my regular top loading post bound albums when done (when I get around to it).

Chronological pretty much exclusively.

I think scrapbooking can be different things. Chronologically it’s more like documenting details or events, or moments.

But storytelling scrapbooking, to me, hits differently. It doesn’t have to include a photo. A photo can illustrate a story, but isn’t integral to the story.

If I’m storytelling to one of my children about themselves, it’s more like I’m writing a letter to them. And then I’ll include a photo that captures the emotions I’m sharing.

If I’m writing about myself, or documenting my childhood memories, that may or may not (likely not) have a photo to illustrate it. But I might have a photo that I took recently that reminded me of a memory, of I’ll use a photo that’s sort of from the same era. I was a wild (shy, introverted, but quite free range) child growing up in the country and spent my summers running through corn fields, jumping from huge towers of hay to another (can’t believe I did that omg 😳), picking alfalfa from the next door field for my pet rabbit… These childhood stories do not have photos, but I can still scrapbook them. They are parts of my history my kids like to know and appreciate having. Probably more so than stuff that’s “easy” and standard scrapbooking fodder, like what was in an Easter basket or whatever.

When I consider if something is worth scrapbooking or documenting through storybooking I ask if it’s something I wish I had from my mom. I’d have liked to have more of my mom’s history from her perspective documented. Like, she made a baby scrapbook listing all guests and gifts she got at her baby shower for me… but? That’s not really meaningful to me. I wish I knew what she was thinking and anticipating. The deeper stuff.

My scrapbooks are for fun. I love taking photos and writing down the stories of my dgk's lives. Occasionally I throw in some pic's and stories of our life here on the farm, or time with friends, or maybe an event with extended family.

I don't see the need to record all the minute of daily life, or even all the important milestones. If I have at least one photo and a story, I will try to get a page together. I try to include something that shows that person's personality or quirks or interests at the time and/or how I feel watching them in these situations.

Most of what I scrap is current, but I don't necessarily scrap it in order. If I am doing birthdays, or school stories from different months/years, I may do several pages related to that theme. But when I put the pages into scrapbooks, they are housed chronologically. My scrapbooks are also divided by seasons, so I will sometimes put in a LO about that season in days gone by. Especially if a current story reminds me of "the way it used to be". I have one full 12x12 scrapbook exclusively about me, and a few mini albums on specific topics. Some of those are based on theme prompts.

IMHO scrapping chronologically & storytelling are NOT mutually exclusive. I keep my hobby simple, exclusively scrap 12x12, & add various sizes & configurations of page protectors as needed to hold memorabilia, extra photos, short stories, etc. My layouts are story-focused with extensive journaling, sometimes photo-less, & organized chronologically in albums. Hope you find an approach that works well for you!