Start Your Own Memoir Writing Project

Memoir writing can be a fun accomplishment for many of us. You do not need to be a celebrity to write a memoir; in fact, everyday people do it all the time! Memoir writers are everyday people who enjoy regular writing and reliving their past through print.

Beginning your memoir

If you ever have the idea that you may want to write a memoir, it helps to start as early as possible making a list of what you will be writing about. Start by keeping a chronological order of different sections of your life right here on Write My Memoirs. You may think that there are not too many exciting things that would make for good memoir writing, but you probably will find out that you’re wrong!

Start by identifying all of the important events in your life, perhaps finding pictures and mementos from this time period to include in your memoir writing. Decide whether you want your memoir writing to be more emotional or from a matter-of-fact point of view. This is considered pre-writing time, or a memoir draft. Many memoirists begin their memoir writing process in this manner, following accepted rules for good writing.

Memoir writing ideas

When you want to be a memoir writer, you will want to document every important event in your life. Start your list with the important events in your life that you have experienced, such as births, deaths, marriages, crises, trips, adventures and other experiences that you’ve had.

You’ll want to remember these in your memoir writing. Keep track of any and all important friends you have had, plus mentors and teachers who may have made a big impact on your life. You will not want to leave these people out of your memoir writing process!

Memoir structure

You have an endless choice when it comes to structuring your material. Here are just a few ideas:

Chronological. Start from birth and proceed forward. This is the simplest structure and has the advantage of becoming an ongoing work as your life continues.
Modified chronological. Start from the present and describe what your life is like today, and then go back and trace how you got to this point. Similarly, you can start from a midpoint or important time in your life, describe what's going on at that moment, tell everything that led up to that point and then move forward to explain what's happened since.
Setting. Identify all of the places that have provided the backdrop for the action in your life, and tackle them location by location. For example, you could go through each room of your house and remember a story that either took place there or comes to mind because of an artifact, document, photo or other item in the room. Together, the stories would unfold to reveal the players and events that have shaped and defined your life.
Theme. Divide your life into major themes, such as romance, work, military service, travel, family, hobbies, school or whichever categories lend themselves to multiple anecdotes. Within each category, relate what happened.
Photos. They say that every picture tells a story, and you could wrap each of your life tales around one or more photos. This would create a photo journalism piece, with your story told more or less in captions.

Other events to note

It is also very important to take note of any historical events that went on during your life, such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or scientific discoveries. Remember your goals and dreams and think about whether and how you have accomplished any of them.

Also consider any devastating events that happened in your life, such as a break-up or divorce, death, miscarriage, abuse and so forth. Pay attention to any educational experiences you lived through, such as classes, colleges and interesting or unusual jobs. Memoir writing should speak from the heart and soul, so be prepared for some soul-searching along the way.

Writing Difficulties

When you write adult memoirs, you may come across difficulties in your writing. Perhaps you are suffering from writer’s block, or you’re having trouble finding events to write about. If so, there are many ways to get past these obstacles so that you can go back to your memoir writing with ease. A break may be just the thing you need to get back on track. For more serious writing problems you may want to look into a writer’s class at your local college or a non-credit course designed specifically as a memoir workshop. Either way, there is plenty of help to be found for memoir writing.

The Internet is another great place to look for help with writing the memoir you have always dreamed about, to download rules for good writing or to get past your writing difficulties. There are many online writing workshops available that anyone with Internet access can take that will help teach memoir writing and provide valuable tips and tricks. Writing fears can be overcome with time and patience, and you will quickly be back on track with your memoir writing. Check the writing tips we give here on Write My Memoirs, or contact us for details on our services ranging from writing coaching to full ghostwriting.

Memoir writing can be both an enjoyable and a healing experience, especially for those who may have had tragedy or trauma in their past. If you enjoy the writing process, memoir writing might be perfect for you!