I have trouble remembering the kanji from the meaning to the kanji. It is alot easier for me to see the kanji and remember the meaning.... any suggestions?

Dan

The typical piece of advice given when dealing with mnemonics is make sure the mnemonics are very bizarre and exaggerated. On top of this there is the advice to literally see in your minds eye the scene depicted in your mnemonic. Try to make it as vivid as you can. If this doesn't work then maybe create a story using something personally relevant. This could be a friend, an experience, a thought, whatever.

The other thing people are going to tell you is that you shouldn't be going from kanji to keyword and only from keyword to kanji. I hope this helps.

When you come up with your stories, first look at the word without even looking at the kanji. See what associations come to you first, and create a story around that.
This is one of my problems too.

Example:
Ford: This is actually the Oregon Trail definition (like crossing a river or something), but my friend's dad owns a Ford Car Dealership, so when I read "Ford" I think of that friend, or cars...
Then I look at the kanji: 渉, water and walk. That's right, that friend's dad is a really big into Christianity --> Jesus, walked on water.

That's a personal example, and very roundabout, but you see how I looked at the "meaning" and used the natural associations already in my mind, which helped me get to the kanji.

Great sugestions. I will try these and see how it goes.

Thanks!

Dan

When I cook up a new story, I'm trying, if possible, to place the keyword at the beginning, like it was a definition of the key word. E.g. "x is..." and then story with primitives used follows. It helps me, couse when I see the key word I can follow my thoughts turning to the story. And when I see the kanji I see elements of the story and the key word comes out. Using this you have to remember that you should use your imagination, but not only definitions containing the primitives...