You have an interesting story to tell and here's how to do it!
1. Think of the best times and worst times of your life through the years, and start writing about those. Start writing means pad and paper without editing. Get the stories down.
Laughter and Tears will emerge when you write your highs and lows.
2. Write in a Safe Space as Unexpected Emotions Will Emerge and You Will Feel Them in Your Body. Be around people you feel safe with to write your truth.
3. Add photos, historical momentos, awards, diary entries, letters, and drawings from the era you are writing about. This validates and authenticates and personalizes your experiences, and can provide more details about your life quickly.
4. Once you have 6 to 8 personal stories written, stop and do an overview. Zoom out. A theme or ‘through-line’ may emerge. For example, did people seek your counsel since you were young? Build on that trait with more content.
5. Decide Who Your Audience Is. Are you writing down your story for your children to read? For yourself? For the public? Your angle will differ for all 3. You may be hesitant to share personal information with the public. You decide.
6. Will your story be written in first person as yourself, or will you choose a fictional character to tell it through? Will your story be told second hand from your parent’s or grandparent’s memories instead?
7. Memoirs are ‘Creative Non Fiction’ due to the nature of memories. Memories fade over time but the jist of the story doesn’t. You can take the liberty of filling in the blanks in memories with possible things that were said in the story.
8. Your memories are your memories derived from your experience. A family member may disagree with your perspective but this is your perspective the way you see it, not their story, so it’s ok to tell it your way!
9. Experience your story as if you are reliving it back in the day, and breathe life into your feelings and enotions, and help the reader see the setting, taste the food, feel the soil, etc Humanize the character - you!
10. Keep Writing in your notebook. Then edit. Then type each story into a separate file and collect the stories in a folder. Then you will have a first draft and can begin revising it. Writing is 20% writing and 80% editing, so write more!
11. Will you self publish on Amazon’s KDP? Query a traditional publisher with a few teaser chapters or go to the printshop and have it made into a spiral book with a title page? Your Memoir is complete! Your story is told! Congrats!!!
No comments.