Forget chapters, timelines, or whether it “fits.” Just write that one moment like you’re watching it unfold on film. Think of your memoir as a conversation with one person. What do you want him or her to know. Envision your extended arm, offering your hand to the reader, saying, “Come with me. I have something to share with you, and I’m going to show you what it meant to me and why it matters to you.”
Read MoreWhen you show up, even for five minutes, something profound happens: you start to trust yourself. You stop being the person who wants to write and become the person who does write.
That’s where confidence begins, not after you publish, but in the quiet rhythm of keeping your promise to yourself.
Read MoreWhile I wrote those early chapters, I knew I still hadn’t found my starting point, but I kept writing. Momentum increased. I was getting words on the page. My early manuscript was taking shape. I knew the perfect, or at least most appropriate beginning, would reveal itself to me.
Soon, my chapters looked less like the resume I’d started with (think boring lists of events I’d endured) and more like a revelation. I was still teaching those political spouses, my future readers, but my stories were becoming revelations that other readers would also relate to.
Read MoreMemoir isn’t a straight line. It’s a spiral. We move forward, circle back, dive deeper, rise again. Start where the ground shook. Then let the echoes guide your structure.
Read MoreMany writers think they have to get the opening exactly right before they can move forward. But here’s the truth: you’ll likely revise your opening after the rest of your story takes shape. The important thing is to start . Choose one powerful doorway into your story and walk through it.
Read MoreAt first, I thought, Who would care about my story? But here’s what surprised me: people did. My book found its way into the hands of men and women, students and retirees, even other politicians. Readers connected not because my life was glamorous, but because I was honest about my journey. And four years later, I’m still selling books and giving interviews.
Read MoreFor almost 33 years, I’ve shared my life with a man who speaks faith in a language different from my own. He is Jewish. I am Catholic. Our whirlwind courtship after meeting at a beach bar had us talking about marriage within 6 months of dating. We quickly acknowledged our religious differences, and we committed to forging a path toward understand and respect of each other’s religions.
Read MoreThe power of food to transport you to a place and time is a catalyst for memoir. Food unleashes our senses so that we can be active characters in the story of life. Just as we invite others to our tables, sharing our stories through memoir invites our readers into the world we inhabit, navigate, even survive.
Read MoreWriting your memoir can be one of the most generous acts of your life. Discover why personal storytelling matters and 10 tips to write generously.
Read MoreMost aspiring memoirists freeze at the starting line. Not because they don’t care, but because all they can see is the end. A finished book. A publishing deal. A shelf at Barnes & Noble. And that vision, while beautiful, is overwhelming when you’re staring at a blank page between school pickups and staff meetings.
Read MoreA well-edited memoir doesn’t erase your voice. It amplifies it. It’s not about cutting your truth. It’s about cutting through the noise so your truth rings louder and clearer.
Editing helps you unearth the real message behind your memories. It helps you focus your story, deepen your themes, and make choices about what to include and what to let go.
Read MoreAI is not the enemy. It’s a tool. A powerful one. And when used with intention, it can help brainstorm, outline, summarize research, and even organize your ideas when your brain is doing its best impression of a cluttered junk drawer.
But here’s where I plant my flag: AI cannot write your memoir. It shouldn’t. And more importantly. It can’t.
Read MoreMemoir is a gift you give others, even if you write it for yourself. It's a mirror, a message, and a map for someone else to follow. Your lived experience can be someone else's life raft.
Read MoreMemoir is more than just writing about your life. It’s choosing to make meaning out of your experiences and offer that meaning to others.
And someone out there needs your story—not someday, but now.
Not when you have more time. Not when you feel more confident. Not when your story feels "finished."
Start messy. Start scared. But for the love of all things literary, start.
Read MoreWant to write a powerful memoir? Start by reading one. Here are 10 memoirs every aspiring author should read—plus lessons each one teaches about craft, voice, and courage.
Read MoreI was good at writing others’ stories - making their cases - whether for advocacy, funding, or recognition. But to turn the tables, look in the mirror and inward? That was a challenge that morphed into a gift, for it taught me to value my experiences enough to share them so that they may help, inspire, or simply entertain.
Read MoreEven when the writing is messy… especially when the writing is messy… you are showing up for yourself. You are practicing courage. And you are validating your truth in a world that doesn’t always do that for you.
Read MoreWhen you share your story, you are not just writing words on a page.
You are flapping your wings.
You are releasing something sacred into the world—and you have no idea where it will land, or who it will touch.
Read MoreOverthinking is the enemy of every aspiring memoirist. We convince ourselves we’re not ready. We stall. We research. We organize our sticky notes into color-coded chaos. And we never write a word. You don’t need more overthinking. You need a memoir blueprint.
Read MoreWhether you’re navigating writer’s block, imposter syndrome, or the fear of being “too much,” these relatable TV metaphors offer powerful lessons to help you write your truth and move your memoir forward.
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