How you can prepare to write a memoir

You need to research before you decide to write a memoir, especially if you don’t understand all the key elements. Once you decide to write a memoir and are highly motivated to do it, you should get your writing tools, such as a laptop or notebook, real writers, and many more. It can be a more satisfying experience to write a memoir when you prepare yourself for this process. This post discusses how you can prepare to write a memoir. 

Make sure you are ready

Different writers take being ready to mean different things, though the process is usually the same. You need to ask yourself some questions to make sure that you are well-equipped for what may happen as you translate your story in the mind into an experience for your audience to read. This means you need to be honest, and prepare to be criticized, exposed, and recognized. 

It’s one thing to know where you stand, and it’s another thing to keep your feet on the ground. Memoir writing is about writing your story, so you don’t need to rush writing it. 

Ask yourself why you want to write a memoir

Motivation is one of the most important elements in memoir-writing experience. By asking yourself why you intend to write a memoir, it gives you the chance to voice your experiences. This should be your driving force that keeps you busy with your laptop. 

Sometimes, you can be attempting to heal, so a memoir can be a part of this process. Remember that writing can assist you to heal. No wonder, many people believe that they find healing through their words by writing these words on paper.

You can also choose to write a memoir so that you may be a popular author. Also, you can be a local celebrity trying to find a wider audience. You will learn that to become a national celebrity requires certain qualities, meaning your memoir needs to be a bestseller. Therefore, you should hire memoir book editors for help.

Overcome some common challenges

Like anything worth writing, there are some challenges that come with writing a memoir. There can be fears about what the audience may feel after reading your memoir. You should note that every memoir writer usually experiences these challenges.

One of the best things you can do is to consider what your loved ones will think about your memoir. Fear of the loved ones can be real. This is because you don’t want to hurt them by writing how they shaped you. This can be a setback for many memoir writers as they avoid hurting their loved ones. But if your goals and motivations are in the right place, there is no need to fear writing your memoir.

You should think like a fiction writer

The truth is that a memoir reflects the true story of what happened in your life, but it also needs to have elements to make fiction compelling. In the write up, make sure that you set the stage for the entire book. This means you have to establish yourself as the main character. 

You should also build out the setting, plant the source of conflict as well as tease out the theme. In other words, you have to create a story structure that has a good opening, middle, and end so that the reader can know how to follow it. 

Keep it relevant

When you decide to tell anyone your story face to face, it’s usually focused on a single event. You can use the same approach when writing your personal memoir. Remember that an autobiography can cover your entire life story while a memoir tends to have a narrower scope focused on a theme or period in your life.

There are many life experiences and little details that can be interesting, but you can exclude them if they fail to support your story. For example, your readers don’t have to read what you wore during your college graduation unless the event is important to your book.

When you decide to write a memoir, you are writing for the readers and yourself. Writing your memoir can be therapeutic. But while sharing your stories, you should remember that there is an audience. Therefore, avoid looking only inward while writing, meaning you should always keep the readers in mind.

Be honest

When writing your memoir, you should assure the readers that you are narrating an honest story of your life from your view. It’s easy to censor yourself, especially if you are retelling your story that involves family members and other people who can remember things differently. 

Hence, you need to stay true to your story while also respecting their rights to privacy. For example, you can choose to use initials or change their names. You are the only person who can decide what goes and what stays, but you need to offer an honest story.

You should write the opening last

Once you decide to start writing your memoir, the perfect opening can be hard to write. If you are experiencing a writer’s block while writing the first chapter, you should remember that you don’t have to write chronologically. 

Therefore, you can choose to write part of your story that interests you the most. Then later on you can go back to the start after completing your first draft. While writing your memoir, there is a good chance that you may discover the perfect opening.

A dramatic moment suits to be the perfect opening for your memoir. You can decide to revisit the moment in more detail later. But sharing this dramatic moment offers a glimpse to your readers of what they can expect to read. This keeps your audience engaged with your memoir. 

As you can see, you need to prepare well to write a good memoir. After coming up with the first draft, it’s a good idea to hire memoir book editors. A memoir book editor can make sure that your memoir stands out among other memoirs. Therefore, make sure that you check the market for the best memoir book editors.