Everybody who decides to write a memoir starts with a “why” in mind. (Or at least they should.) We long to tell the stories of traumas and trials we’ve triumphed over; to highlight successes we’ve achieved and what it took to accomplish them; to share our hard-won wisdom...

Writing a memoir can be a powerful and transformative experience. The process of writing about your life allows you to reflect on your past, share your life story with others, and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

Despite all the potential benefits of writing a memoir, many people...

You're ready to write your memoir. But how long will it take to finish your first draft? The answer to this question depends on a few factors. 

First, a couple of questions and some quick math.

How long will your book be?

Are you writing a full-length book or just a...

You’ve decided to write your life story. Congratulations! Most people only think about writing their story but never actually get it from their head to the page. Before you get started, you’ll want to determine which type of life story you want to write—memoir or autobiography....

You’ve decided it’s time to write your memoir. Eager to dive in, you open your laptop and create a new document titled, “My Memoir.”

Day One

Clickety-clack, your fingertips peck at the keys, and your first pages flow out of you. After writing a few thousand words, you feel...

This summer, my two daughters-in-law gave birth to beautiful baby girls. I experienced everything from the thrill of my sons and their new wives announcing that they were expecting, to watching them grow over the course of 40 weeks, and then finally, wondrously, welcoming two perfect girls...

If you live in a place where you experience the four seasons, you likely notice a change in your mindset and energy level when there’s a change in temperature and weather patterns. I definitely feel a shift in my creativity with each change of season. 

I live in Chicago, and though...

At the beginning of this year, I set a writing goal for myself: Finish writing the first draft of my memoir by the end of June. It’s a realistic goal if I maintain my writing routine. For me, this means writing first thing when I wake up. I set my Tomato timer on my phone for 30...

Writing prompts are a great way to get your creative juices flowing when you sit down to do your daily writing. They provide a focal point to quickly generate stories.

For memoir writers, writing prompts can help stir up new stories when it feels like...

It’s been said, “If you want to be a great writer, you need to have an insatiable appetite for reading.”  Summer is the perfect time to grab a few books to bring on vacation or to read in your backyard. If you’re a memoir writer, here are Goodreads’ top picks...