What Stories Are You Telling Yourself? I ran across this amazing photo on Facebook. Taken in 1948 by noted photographer Leonard McCombe, it depicts a 91-year-old Navajo story-teller, thrilling his young audience with tales of heroes and monsters. Folk stories that had probably been handed down for generations, which might pass […]
Story of a Plain Girl: A Q&A with Memoir Author Marian Beaman
Looking for a little Memoir inspiration? Well, author Marian Beaman has not just one inspiring memoir in print, but two. Her first book, Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl, debuted in 2019. And her second, My Checkered Life: A Marriage Memoir, followed in 2023. Marian’s intriguing first book shares stories of growing up […]
Marketing Your Memoir
The Best Marketing Tip I Ever Heard: Not every memoir writer truly cares how many books they’ll sell. Sometimes, a memoir is just something the author needed to write! It’s therapy. It’s self-affirmation. It’s memorializing a life. It fills an inner need. But if you hope to eventually sell your memoir, you’ll need to think about marketing. […]
Take a Break From Writing? Really??
Last month, I gave myself a break. A break from writing, that is. I didn’t stop the word flow entirely, mind you. I kept up with a fiction project. But normally I also turn out two nonfiction stories every single month. For once, I listened to myself. I stopped pushing […]
Forks in the Road: A Memoir Writing Tip
This fresh new year brings us a “fork in the road” – a chance to make different choices. To do things differently. To work on your memoir, perhaps. Or sometimes . . . not. Rather than gritting your teeth as you make a “New Year’s resolution” to write, I hope you’ll approach these next twelve months […]
Finding Your Support Tribe as a Writer
Let’s face it: writing can be a lonely business. But a “support tribe” can help keep you motivated and on-task! What’s a “support tribe”? In a nutshell, it’s a network of folks who provide encouragement and advice for your writing. That can take different forms, depending on your particular needs. It might be an informal […]
A Heart for Helping
Writing a memoir is a big undertaking. And tackling that job all alone can make it feel twice as big! Luckily, helpers are out there. Whether you call these folks personal historians, memoir coaches, or developmental editors, all of them can help with various parts of the writing process. This month I wanted to […]
Three Ways to Start Your Memoir (Without Actually Writing)
Writing a memoir isn’t all about writing. Some powerful early steps actually don’t involve writing at all! Here are three powerful ways you can get started: * * * * * * * 1. Pick Your End Date: Okay, I know it sounds counter-intuitive to think about finishing a […]
Five Things I Learned Doing My Family History
I recently finished my own family history, a six-month project that only took me, oh, about thirty years to complete. That’s right. I’ve helped dozens and dozens of other people write their memoirs or family histories. I’ve written a whole book about how to do what I did for others. But it’s taken me […]
Getting Your Memoir Printed
Most of my posts gave focused on getting your memoir written. This time I wanted to jump ahead and talk about getting your manuscript printed once you finish writing! First, the bad news: chances of a big publisher sweeping up your beloved work with a mega-contract are (generally-speaking) somewhere between slim and none, unless you’re close kin to […]
Words to Live By
WORDS TO LIVE BY: One common theme in the memoirs I’ve worked on is a Words to Live By chapter. It could go anywhere, of course; but typically it’s the last chapter of the book — an effective way to leave your reader with positive and helpful thoughts. […]
When Memoirs Bring Up Feelings
Watch out for the “Memoir Blues”! Working on a Memoir – your own tale, or the story of your family – can tap surprising, long-buried feelings. Memories and emotions you thought you’d worked out long ago. And definitely not just the happy ones. I know. Because it’s been happening […]