Start Small: Why One Memory Is All You Need Today

Here’s one of the biggest reasons why would-be memoir writers stay stuck: They try to sit down and write their entire life story in one go.

No wonder it feels overwhelming. No wonder the cursor blinks on the screen like it’s mocking you.

But here’s the secret: you don’t have to write your whole life today. You just need one memory.

Why “The Whole Story” Stops You Before You Start

Thinking about a memoir as “my whole life” is paralyzing. Where do you begin? Childhood? The turning point in your 30s? The loss you faced last year?

Trying to hold the entire timeline in your head at once creates instant overwhelm.

But when you start with a single memory, everything shifts.

One Memory Can Be Enough

Memoir isn’t written in sweeping generalizations—it’s written in scenes. In moments. In tiny snapshots of your life that, together, create a powerful story.

That’s why one memory matters.

The day you left home.
The conversation that changed everything.
The quiet Sunday afternoon when you realized your life would never be the same.

Those are the seeds of your memoir.

Quick Win: Write for 10 Minutes

Here’s your challenge: pick one memory—just one—and write about it for 10 minutes.

Don’t overthink it. Don’t outline it. Don’t decide if it’s “important enough.”

Maybe it’s the smell of your grandmother’s kitchen. Maybe it’s the fight you had in the car last summer.

Just write what you remember.

When you start there, you’ll see something amazing happen: the pressure lifts. And one memory leads to another.

From One Memory to a Memoir

You don’t need to “write a book” today. You just need to write this moment.

Because once you have one memory on paper, you can write another. And another. Until one day, you have a memoir.

Want more tips like this to help you start your memoir without overwhelm?
 👉 Download The Memoir Writing Quick-Start Guide—your free roadmap to move from thinking about writing your story to actually doing it.