Making Meaning of Your Memories

Here's a scene that plays out in first drafts everywhere: A writer types a sentence, reads it back, winces, deletes it, and rewrites it three different ways before moving on to the next sentence—where the whole cycle starts again. An hour later, they've produced two polished paragraphs and a mountai...

You've scheduled your writing time. Good. Now here's the tool that will do more for your memoir than any fancy notebook or writing app ever could: a plain, ordinary timer.

Set it for 15 to 30 minutes—whatever length you committed to when you scheduled your session. Then start it, put your fingers o...

If you've been telling yourself you'll write your memoir "when things calm down," I have some bad news: things rarely calm down. Life stays full. The laundry keeps needing to be folded, the inbox keeps refilling, and the story you've been carrying around in your head stays right where it is—unwritte...

You want to write your memoir—but something keeps getting in the way. Time. Energy. Fear. Perfectionism. Life. All legitimate barriers.

But writing a memoir isn’t just about finding inspiration. It’s about building habits.

In Atomic Habits, James Clear’s best-selling book on how to make tiny chang...

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...

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...

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...

You know the feeling.

You're standing in a room full of half-unpacked boxes, random objects scattered everywhere—a lamp on the floor, papers in piles, a chair draped in laundry, and zero idea where your water bottle went.

Welcome to Scattered Brain Syndrome.

Okay, it’s not an official diagnosis, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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...