Memoir writers often wonder how to get started. Should they just hire a ghost writer and pay for phone time to start telling their stories and turning them into documents? That’s one way to start, but it’s not the only way. If you hope to write a memoir, start writing it yourself so you can begin to see the themes and lessons you’ll want to emphasize in your memoir or life lesson book. Here are three writing prompts for memoir writers with a life story to tell.
Write Prompt #1: Write the inspiring story of the time in your life when you felt most empowered. Use detailed sensory words that evoke sounds, sensations, visual images, etc. How did it feel to be in your body at that moment when you spoke your truth? When did you walk away from a bad situation? When did you feel completely in harmony with the universe? When did you know you were okay, for the first time in a long time? When did you know you had achieved success? (This story may end up being the beginning of the book.)
Write Prompt #2: Write a story about being a little boy playing. What was the toy you played with and why did you like to play with it? Use sensory details. How did he feel lying on the rug in his family’s living room or sitting on the linoleum in his family’s kitchen? What were you imagining? What were you feeling, emotionally? (This exercise can be very effective in extracting from your unconscious mind a story that tells us something about who you are as an adult, what you value, and what the themes of your story are.)
Write Prompt #3: Write a funny story that captures your sense of humor. It could be recent or one from your childhood. Make sure this story reveals your vulnerability, so the reader engages with you person-to-person rather than just seeing you as an expert or leader. (This story will be a contrast to the first one you wrote)
After writing these stories, read them out loud. Make any changes to the writing that you feel are necessary. Please edit these stories as best you can, checking for spelling and grammar.
Start thinking about what these stories have in common. What are their strengths, weaknesses and interests as revealed in these stories? What, if anything, do your stories tell a reader about how you overcame challenges?
All memories need a narrative arc: we need to see the progress in the story. We need to see him come of age, learn to run a successful business despite humble beginnings and mistakes along the way, become a person who has come to peace with his past and has developed wisdom and a sense of clarity. and purpose, and so on. . Think about how you would summarize your memories in one sentence. Next, write two descriptive paragraphs that can be found on the back cover of the book or on the book’s Amazon page. Look at other books for examples.
Once you’ve written something and started to get a sense of what the central story of your memoir is, think about whether you want to write a memoir, a life lesson book, or a self-help book with on-the-go exercises and maybe even a book. action plan to develop new habits.
Whether your plan is to publish the book for yourself and your family and friends, or for a broader audience that includes admirers of your work as an expert in your field, start writing today with these writing guidelines for memoir writers. Even if you end up making a book of life lessons or a self-help book, you’ll be glad you wrote these stories. Doing so will help you get a better idea of how your personal anecdotes can be incorporated into the book you want to write. A professional development editor or ghost writer can best help you when you’ve started writing and conceptualizing your book.