How to Write a Memoir

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A man at the edge of a cliff looking out over ostensibly a big drop below

How to Write a Cliffhanger

A cliffhanger is not a trick, but a promise. As a storyteller, you want to grab your reader’s attention and...

An apple core being dismantled by a machine crank to suggest that theme ideas can be gotten to mechanistically with our blog

Theme Ideas: Finding the Core Your Story

Theme ideas aren’t something tacked on to the end of a story. They are central to the narrative, and woven...

An image inscribed "start now" to suggest that writing motivation tools are offered within the blog for immediate inspiration

Writing Motivation

Have you ever found yourself staring at the blank page and waiting for the spark, but it doesn’t come? So...

A child reaching into a hat to suggest play in the magician archetype

The Magician Archetype: Characters Who Transform All They Touch

The Magician archetype is a character who comes into the story and transforms everything. They don’t wield a specific authority...

Image of a door with the number 7 next to an opened door to suggest elements of fiction with a sense of mystery and invitation

7 Elements of Fiction: How to Build a Story

Have you ever wondered why some stories stay with you, while others fade from memory before you even close the...

A person staring at a big volume of books suggests that it is important to know what is an imprint

What is an Imprint and How Does it Work?

What is an imprint? This is one of those publishing terms that gets mentioned but is rarely explained. Most beginning...

People gathered around a pile of pictures to suggest how to end a memoir
Blog
Alan Watt

How to End a Memoir

As a memoirist, it’s almost inevitable that you struggle with your ending.  It’s important to remember that the ending of your memoir

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Prehistoric cave archeological cave carving of six men in a boat used to symbolize the deep meaning of a 6-word memoir
Blog
Alan Watt

6-Word Memoir

Writing a 6-word memoir might feel impossible at first, too restricting, maybe even unfair. You might think, How do you tell a

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Tell Your Truth
Blog
Alan Watt

Tell Your Truth

  “A book must start somewhere. One brave letter must volunteer to go first, laying itself on the line in an act of faith,

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writing memoir
Blog
Alan Watt

Writing Memoir

“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have

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Recent posts

People gathered around a pile of pictures to suggest how to end a memoir

How to End a Memoir

As a memoirist, it’s almost inevitable that you struggle with your ending.  It’s important to remember that the ending of...

Neat ivory notebook with empty pages and a coffee cup beside it, suggestion of royalty and elegance in how to start a memoir

How to Start a Memoir

How do you start your memoir when there are infinite places to begin, and every idea leads to ten new...

A picture of photographs in a wooden crate suggests examples of memoirs to help writers find their own stories

Examples of Memoirs: What Great Memoirs Can Teach You About Storytelling

A memoir is not simply a retelling of your life story. It’s about finding meaning in your experiences and shaping...

Advice on writing memoir from authors depicted by eight people standing at a beach in sunset, looking at the horizon

Advice from Authors on Writing Memoir – 8 Helpful Hints

Even accomplished writers balk at writing a memoir. While you may labor for years developing fictional narratives, screenplays, or essays,...

A woman reading a book wistfully in fall foliage to represent Memoir writing prompts

Memoir Writing Prompts to Help You Find the Real Story

Most writers think a memoir begins with memory. It doesn’t. It begins with tension. A feeling you can’t shake. A...

When excavating photographs and old memories one may find what they need in memoir ideas for their next stories

Memoir Ideas: Finding the Story Only You Can Tell

Some writers believe you need to have lived a dramatic life in order to write a great memoir, but that’s...

Prehistoric cave archeological cave carving of six men in a boat used to symbolize the deep meaning of a 6-word memoir

6-Word Memoir

Writing a 6-word memoir might feel impossible at first, too restricting, maybe even unfair. You might think, How do you...

How to Write a Memoir

How to Write a Memoir: From First Draft to Lasting Impact

A memoir is a narrative written from the author’s perspective, focusing on a specific moment or theme of their life....

memoir

What is a Memoir? From Personal Experience to Universal Truth

The desire to write is, at its core, the desire to evolve. To dig deeper into something you’ve experienced in...

Memoir: Mastering the Impossible

Memoir: Mastering the Impossible

“While they were saying among themselves it cannot be done, it was done.” – Helen Keller The purpose of art...

Tell Your Truth

Tell Your Truth

  “A book must start somewhere. One brave letter must volunteer to go first, laying itself on the line in...

writing memoir

Writing Memoir

“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they...

Permission to Write theTruth

Permission to Write Your Truth

What is the Truth of your story? OK, you’ve outlined your story and you’re getting ready to write your first...

Making the Impossible Possible

Making the Impossible Possible

Turning the impossible into something possible is the magic of story. We often have an idea of the direction our...

Difference between Journaling and Storytelling

The Difference Between Journaling and Storytelling

The difference between journaling and storytelling is context. Journaling is simply documenting what happened. Storytelling involves illustrating the meaning of...

Intimacy Hangover

The 90-Day Memoir – Intimacy Hangover

In the first day of The 90-Day Memoir workshop the writers often have some major insights and revelations. But it...

Memoir: Personal & Universal

Memoir: Personal & Universal

The challenge in writing a memoir is that self-examination is not typically meant to be shared. The goal in writing...