So You Want To Write a Memoir

Maybe the urging started recently. Maybe it’s been there for years. Whenever it began, this is an amazing opportunity to explore. Your life. Your family history. Your growth. Your life lessons. Your challenges. Your setbacks. Your past. Your present. Your future.

People Want to Read What You Want to Write

A memoir may seem to be all about you, but what you feel compelled to share is most likely just what another person needs to hear. Maybe it is a traumatic life experience that you not only survived but went on to transform so that you are now thriving. Maybe it is a painful life lesson that you struggled to learn, but learn you did, and you now have the perspective to share the entire experience with others. Maybe it is the stage of life you find yourself in today or a look back at the stages of life you’ve lived and grown through. Maybe it is the vision you have for the future.

It’s All About Perspective

Whatever may be brewing inside, whatever may be percolating and simmering, trust that you need to write it down and that we want to hear it. Although the circumstances you’ve lived through may not be entirely unique, your experience, your way of seeing it, and your way of sharing it will be. And you may be the one person to reach a group of people who have never been able to relate to another person’s story before. Remember, that although many people may have shared a story similar to the one you feel called to write about, we need many different versions and varying perspectives of our human stories in order to reach more people.

Listen To Your Inner Voice

If you find that there’s a constant whisper in your ear that keeps you up at night or interrupts your days, trust that that calling is real—and not only is it important for you to listen to it, but you need to take action. So, grab a special pen, a journal or spiral bound notebook, and let it flow. Or sit down at your computer and let your fingers do the walking (and the talking). Let it pour forth.

“But I’m Not a Writer”

A phrase I’ve so often heard. Well, maybe you never considered yourself one before, but quite possibly you’re becoming one now. And if grammar, spelling, punctuation, and structure are not your strengths—not to worry. That’s why editors do what we do. We’re here to help you put your story in the best possible light—of course, preserving your unique voice in the process.

So, if you’re feeling that urge, listen. It may be a legacy for your family or it may need to get out to a broader audience. Only time will tell. You’ll know when and for whom your story is being written. In the meantime, get writing!