Making Meaning of Your Memories

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 ...

When I was in college, my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Glen invited me for a fireside dinner in their living room every year at Christmastime. We’d eat by candlelight and listen to a recording of Dylan Thomas reading his timeless classic, A Child’s Christmas in Wales. (You can listen to a different narrator'...

Memoir writing is more than recounting events; it’s about uncovering the deeper truths of how those events shaped you. As memoirists, we dig through the raw material of our lives, not just to relive the past, but to understand it, learn from it, and share our hard-won wisdom with others.

Marion Roa...

If you’re gearing up for a writing sprint like my 30-day memoir writing challenge, preparation can be the key to making the most of your dedicated writing sprint. Whether you're just getting started on a memoir or picking up where you left off on your book, here are eight essential tips to help you ...

Every life is a story waiting to be told. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting to explore the idea of documenting your life, one of the most powerful ways to begin is by mapping the story arc of your life. Understanding the narrative of your experiences can provide the foundation you ne...

Do you have an idea for a book you want to write about your life? Before you begin, it's essential to determine which type of personal narrative suits your story best—autobiography or memoir. While these genres both involve writing about one's life, they differ significantly in focus and approach. L...

Writers often underestimate the number of drafts they’ll need to write, edit, and rewrite to get them from their first draft to a fully formed manuscript. In Part 1 of this blog post, I offered a snapshot of what to expect for your first and second drafts, and the key objectives of these phases in t...

Writers commonly underestimate the effort required to complete a book. You get inspired to write about your life, then sit down and start pecking at the keys, letting your passion and vision of a published bestseller drive your word count.

Then reality sets in. You stare at the screen wondering wha...

A premise is the foundational idea or central theme that drives your memoir—a single sentence that captures the essence of the story you want to tell. Your premise serves as the guiding light that shapes the narrative, ensuring coherence and focus throughout the writing process.

Crafting a clear an...

My brother and his wife bought the childhood home where my five siblings and I grew up. Whenever I visit, I feel a flood of memories. I can visualize life in our modest-sized house with eight people crammed around the dinner table, vying for space in front of the basement TV, battling over whose tur...

Everyone who embarks on a journey to write their memoir inevitably hits a wall. You have a dream of telling a slice of your life story, but you meet resistance—a too-full calendar, kids who need your full-time attention, a day job that saps your energy and leaves you too tired to write your tale. We...

Many people worry they don't have enough time to write a memoir. Life is busy and finding time to write can be challenging. However, writing a memoir doesn't have to be a full-time job. Even if you only have a few minutes each day, you can make progress by setting a daily writing goal and sticking t...