Making Meaning of Your Memories

Let’s be honest—writing a memoir takes more than passion and a good story. It takes rhythm, reflection, and regular course correction. The end of each quarter is the perfect moment to pause, check in with your progress, and get back on track. Although you can reset your writing goals at any point du...

Writing a memoir takes time, energy, and courage.

And there will be days when you wonder if it’s worth it.

Days when the words won’t come.
Days when you feel like no one will ever read it.
Days when the doubts get loud.

That’s why every memoir writer needs a ‘why.’

Why Your “Why” Matters

Your “...

How many times have you thought, “I’ll start my memoir when life calms down”?

Here’s the problem: life rarely “calms down.”

If you’re waiting for a three-day writing retreat or a magically cleared calendar, your memoir might never happen.

But here’s the good news: you don’t need hours. You just n...

Every writer knows the feeling: you finally sit down to write your memoir…and then the voice in your head starts up.

“That sentence sounds terrible.”
 “You used the word ‘remember’ three times—fix it.”
 “No one’s going to want to read this.”

Before you’ve finished the first paragraph, you’re delet...

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 li...

If you’ve been carrying the dream of writing your memoir for years, there’s a good chance something invisible has been holding you back.

Maybe you’ve been waiting for someone to tell you your story matters. Or for the perfect block of time to magically open up in your life. Or for some kind of offi...

 If you’re writing a memoir, you’ve probably heard it before: “You should keep a journal.” But you might be wondering—why bother? Isn’t my memoir already doing the work of recording my life?

Not quite.

A journal isn’t a rough draft of your book. It’s something different entirely—a private space to...

Two weeks ago, I did something radical.

I unplugged.

Not just from email or social media. I unplugged from my job, my routines, my productivity mindset. I stepped away from the day-to-day demands of being a communications director at a research company and gave myself permission to simply be—to ex...

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 ...