The only thing harder than finishing your memoir is starting it. Or more accurately, finding a way to keep going to the finish line once you have started!
If you’ve tried — and failed — to make much progress writing your memoir, here’s a simple tip that can help: find yourself a partner.
Not an editor. Not a critic. Not a parent, and definitely not your spouse (at least if you hope to stay married!)
Find someone you can talk to; someone who supports the best in you. Find someone you can tell your stories to and rest assured they won’t wind up plastered all over Facebook.
Pick a story — any story. One experience in your life that’s still really fresh in your memory. Was there a turning point in your life? A “fork in the road”? Those are great places to start.
Or how about a time when something unexpected happened, or you tried something scary and new. Did you stretch yourself? Was your life on the line?
Then make a date. Yes, a “real” date. Put it in your date book. Plaster it on the calendar. Make a time to sit down together with your favorite friend and just talk.
Talking uses different “writing muscles” than sitting in front of a typewriter or computer. We’re less guarded; more open; words flow more freely. We talk all day every day, don’t we?
Talking with a friend is a great way to get a fresh handle on the stories you’ve been meaning to tell in that great memoir. Ask your friend to take notes for you, or jot them down yourself after she leaves. Or buy a digital recorder and just hit “Record” before you start.
Voila! You now have a set of notes (or perhaps even a complete recording) — the perfect launching pad for that next chapter in your exciting memoir.
Like more tips on memoir-writing? Check out our LifeStory Workbook here!!
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