6 Crucial Decisions for Crafting Your Memoir

Writing a memoir is a deeply personal and often cathartic experience. It's an opportunity to share your unique story with the world, to explore your past, and to connect with readers on a profound level. However, before you embark on this meaningful journey, there are several key choices you must make to ensure your memoir reaches its full potential. In this blog post, we'll delve into six essential decisions that will help clarify and accelerate the process of crafting your memoir.

Decision #1: Define Your Story's Essence

Before you begin writing your memoir, take a moment to contemplate the core of your narrative. What is the story beneath the story? For instance, your memoir might be about how you survived sexual abuse, but embedded in your story may be the theme of overcoming shame, healing from deep wounds, or learning to reintegrate your adult self with your inner child to become fully human.

When you uncover the deeper, universal themes that lie within your story, your memoir will resonate with more readers. Your transformational journey will become theirs as you tap into the universal aspects of being human. Defining your story’s central themes—its essence—will serve as the guiding star for your memoir.

Action item: Start by brainstorming words and phrases that capture the essence of your story. Then, craft a concise one-sentence statement that synthesizes what your memoir is about. Or, imagine you're at a social gathering, and someone asks you what your memoir is about. How would you respond?

Decision #2: Clarify Your Motivation

Understanding your motivation for writing a memoir is pivotal. Take time to reflect and freewrite about why you feel compelled to share your life's story. What's at stake if you don't write it? What will you risk by writing it? Your "why" will be the driving force behind your memoir, fueling your creativity and determination throughout the process.

Action item: Write down your reasons for writing a memoir and then distill them into a concise 1-3 sentence statement that defines why you want to embark on this journey.

Decision #3: Define Your Audience

Identifying your target audience is key to shaping your memoir effectively. Do you envision your primary reader as yourself, family members, or a broader audience? If you hope to attract a wider audience, who specifically do you envision reaching? Knowing your intended audience will help you tailor your writing style and content to resonate with your intended readers.

Action item: Describe your primary reader in detail, exploring their needs, challenges, and pain points that would drive them to read your story.

Decision #4: Envision Reader Transformation

Narrative arcs are built on transformation. What change do you want to inspire or catalyze in your reader by the time they finish reading your memoir? Understanding the transformation you hope to evoke will help you craft a compelling, transformative story.

Action item: Describe the transformation you wish your reader to undergo after experiencing your memoir. What do you want them to know, feel, or do as a result of reading your story?

Decision #5: Choose Your Publishing Path

Selecting the right publishing path is a critical decision. You have several options, from writing a full-length memoir and seeking a traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing approach, or publishing personal essays, articles, or short form writing on your own blog or other writing platforms, such as Medium, Substack, or even social media. Your choice should align with your goals, resources, and preferences.

Decision #6: Determine Your Writing Schedule

Setting deadlines is vital for successful writing. Create a timeline for completing your first draft and establish a writing schedule. Having a clear timeline will keep you on track and facilitate steady progress toward your memoir's completion.

Action item: To estimate how many weeks it will you to write a rough first draft of 60,000 word memoir, follow these steps:

First, write for 60 minutes, then check your word count. Next, multiply your hourly word count by the number of hours you plan to write each week. Then, divide your weekly word count by 60,000 words (traditionally published full-length memoirs range from 50,000 to 80,000 words). This gives you the number of weeks it will take to complete a rough first draft.

Now, go to your calendar and mark your first draft deadline, adding time for any planned vacations or other life events that may require you to extend past the estimated number of weeks you calculated.

Crafting a memoir is a rewarding endeavor that requires thoughtful decision-making. By exploring the essence of your story, understanding your motivation, defining your audience, envisioning reader transformation, choosing your publishing path, and establishing a writing schedule, you'll be well-prepared to create a memoir that resonates with readers and fulfills your personal and literary aspirations.