Making Meaning of Your Memories

I can still hear the heavy thud of my father coming up the stairs. He was pretending to be a monster. At six years old, those footsteps filled me with a nervous hope. Maybe tonight, my dad was coming to say goodnight to me.

He came into my room as the “tickle monster,” roaring and laughing as I squ...

I waited all day for the Amazon driver to arrive. When the box finally showed up, I tore it open and found the three new books I ordered to add to the memoir I’ve already started for my summer reading. Here’s what will be on my nightstand for the next couple of months:

You Could Make This Place Bea...

Before you start writing your memoir, there’s one crucial decision to make that will shape everything else: your premise.

A premise is more than just the summary of your story. It’s the "big idea" that holds your memoir together—the through line that keeps you focused, your readers engaged, and you...

If you’ve ever scribbled thoughts into a notebook after a long day or jotted down a vivid dream before it faded, you’ve already begun the practice that many memoir writers swear by: journaling. I’ve been writing in journals most of my life. As an adult, journaling has been one of the most practical ...

“A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.” Amy Tan wrote these lines in her novel, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, and they’ve haunted me since the first time I read them. Mothers are the first beat in our origin story. In them, we experience the most elemental sense of who we are. 

Wh...

There’s something about spring—maybe it’s the longer days or the fresh breeze through open windows—that makes us want to tidy up. But spring cleaning isn’t just for your closet or kitchen. If you're writing a memoir, this is the perfect season to clean up your creative process, too.

Memoir writing ...

Writing about your faith for the first time can feel like standing on the edge of something tender and holy. You have a story—a moment of awakening, a stretch of wilderness, a quiet transformation—and something in you wants to put words to it. Maybe it’s for your journal. Maybe for your memoir. Or m...

You know the feeling.

You're standing in a room full of half-unpacked boxes, random objects scattered everywhere—a lamp on the floor, papers in piles, a chair draped in laundry, and zero idea where your water bottle went.

Welcome to Scattered Brain Syndrome.

Okay, it’s not an official diagnosis, ...

Writing a memoir is one of the most courageous things you can do. You’re not just telling a story—you’re telling your story, with all its raw, messy, beautiful truths. And if that feels terrifying, you’re not alone.

Every memoirist I’ve ever worked with has faced fear in some form. Fear of what oth...

When you sit down to write your memoir, you’re not just telling a story—you’re inviting readers into your life. How you frame that invitation matters, and two critical choices will shape how your story is experienced: verb tense and point of view (POV). These decisions may seem small, but they profo...

Writing a memoir is about more than recounting memories; it’s about bringing readers into your world and letting them experience your pivotal moments firsthand. Many memoir writers struggle with “showing” rather than “telling” their most powerful memories. This requires a careful balance of authenti...

As the year draws to a close, it's the perfect time to reflect on your memoir-writing journey and take intentional steps to wrap up 2024 on a high note. Whether you're aiming to complete your first draft, refine your manuscript, or simply organize your writing materials, the final weeks of the year ...