We are experiencing issues with our Contact form.
Please Email Us Directly at: Su*****@************rs.com.

Every ordinary life story is extraordinary!

PLEASE NOTE:

oUR CONTACT US Form HAD A MALFUNCTION.
IF YOU HAVEN’T RECEIVED A REPLY, PLEASE FILL IT OUT AGAIN OR WRITE US DIRECTLY.

Every ordinary life story is extraordinary!

life story

Don’t Listen to Naysayers Who Underestimate You

by
Don’t Listen to Naysayers Who Underestimate You
The other day we had a phone call from a new member who has wanted to write her life story for a long time and now is finally pushing herself to do it. I think it’s quite common to keep putting off this longstanding goal until we have time “someday.??? This caller simply dialed up her determination. Everyone has time. It’s all about priorities. Instead of that hour you watch TV, surf the Internet or even read, you could be writing.
Time wasn’t the caller’s major roadblock, though. Whenever she’d mention her intention to write her memoirs, friends and family members would downplay her ability to carry it through. As the first person in her family to graduate from college, and currently pursuing her master’s degree, she knew that she could do whatever she put her mind to doing. She’d had to overcome the same negativity to achieve those previous goals. In fact, she aimed to have her story inspire others to overcome their own obstacles, and she wanted to write it while she was still young and her memories were fresh.
I was very impressed and realized that many of you may be facing the same negativity. Here at Write My Memoirs we support you and believe in you! We know you can do it! And, as we told the caller, if you need writing help please contact us because if getting your story down is important to you, it’s important to us, too.

blog79The other day we had a phone call from a new member who has wanted to write her life story for a long time and now is finally pushing herself to do it. I think it’s quite common to keep putting off this longstanding goal until we have time “someday.??? This caller simply dialed up her determination. Everyone has time. It’s all about priorities. Instead of that hour you watch TV, surf the Internet or even read, you could be writing.

Time wasn’t the caller’s major roadblock, though. Whenever she’d mention her intention to write her memoirs, friends and family members would downplay her ability to carry it through. As the first person in her family to graduate from college, and currently pursuing her master’s degree, she knew that she could do whatever she put her mind to doing. She’d had to overcome the same negativity to achieve those previous goals. In fact, she aimed to have her story inspire others to overcome their own obstacles, and she wanted to write it while she was still young and her memories were fresh.

I was very impressed and realized that many of you may be facing the same negativity. Here at Write My Memoirs we support you and believe in you! We know you can do it! And, as we told the caller, if you need writing help please contact us because if getting your story down is important to you, it’s important to us, too.

Follow WriteMyMemoirs on Twitter!

by
Follow WriteMyMemoirs on Twitter!
Yes, it’s true. A little birdie told us that WriteMyMemoirs has joined the twittersphere and will be tweeting to anyone who’s willing to listen to our 140 characters of wisdom. Like a lot of you, we’re still learning about all of this social media, so please have patience with us!
One goal, of course, is to get our name out there a little more. We’ll be linking to our own website pages and crowing about our services. However, we also will use Twitter to notify our “followers??? about any late-breaking news, contests we may run or observations about pertinent current events. To get into this game, just go to twitter.com, join with your own chosen tweet-worthy name, search for WriteMyMemoirs and press the “follow??? button. We’re also on Facebook, where you can do the same thing—except that you’ll be “friending??? instead of “following.???
For those of you who are internet-conversant enough to be writing your life story online here with us but who prefer not to venture further than that into the technological wilderness, we understand! When we have something significant to tell you, don’t worry—we’ll email our members with the information, blog about it and, if it’s of high importance, add the information to our home page. Please feel free to comment on the blog posts here, but with Facebook and Twitter the conversation can be truly and immediately interactive. You talk to us, and you can be sure that we’ll be tweeting back at

Yes, it’s true. A little birdie told us that WriteMyMemoirs has joined the twittersphere and will be tweeting to anyone who’s willing to listen to our 140 characters of wisdom. Like a lot of you, we’re still learning about all of this social media, so please have patience with us.

One goal, of course, is to get our name out there a little more. We’ll be linking to our own website pages and crowing about our services. However, we also will use Twitter to notify our “followers??? about any late-breaking news, contests we may run or observations about pertinent current events. To get into this game, just go to twitter.com, join with your own chosen tweet-worthy name, search for WriteMyMemoirs and press the “follow??? button. We’re also on Facebook, where you can do the same thing—except that you’ll be “friending??? instead of “following.???

For those of you who are internet-conversant enough to be writing your life story online here with us but who prefer not to venture farther than that into the technological wilderness, we understand! When we have something significant to tell you, don’t worry—we’ll email our members with the information, blog about it and, if it’s of high importance, add the information to our home page. Please feel free to comment on the blog posts here, but with Facebook and Twitter the conversation can be truly and immediately interactive. You talk to us, and you can be sure that we’ll be tweeting back at ya!

Pace is Important in Chronicling your Life Story

by

Finally we reach the last of author Kurt Vonnegut’s eight rules for writing a short story. It’s not a pretty finish in terms of how neatly his rules jibe with writing memoirs. Perhaps you’ll agree with me that Rule 8 is not a good fit:

Rule 8: Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

Vonnegut must be amused by his own irreverence. I don’t see an advantage to writing even a work of fiction with the possibility in mind that the reader may not finish the book. “To hell with suspense???? Many fans of the mystery novel would disagree! In our situation here, we’re writing a true story about our real life. I think we must unfold the events with some order and not focus on cramming the early chapters with all of the important information. Vonnegut has a point that a reader who fails to finish a work of fiction can concoct an ending that may be just as satisfying as the ending the author crafted. But this is one rule that does not apply to your memoir, which is nonfiction and, therefore, by definition leads to only one conclusion: the actual one. I’ve had fun reviewing Vonnegut’s eight rules and hope you did, too.

When Writing Memoirs, Keep in Mind a Reader Profile

by

You can’t be all things to all people, the saying goes. That’s the core message of the seventh of Kurt Vonnegut’s eight rules for writing short stories, which I’m reviewing week by week and applying to writing memoirs.

Rule 7: Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

This advice is pertinent to writing an autobiography. Let’s say your primary purpose is to provide your grandchildren and generations thereafter with the gift of reading about your life from your personal perspective. In that case, you’ll probably want to include many details about your family and the upbringing of your children (their parents). Now let’s say you’re writing a book for wider distribution. The general reader who enjoys autobiographical work will be more interested in the adventurous episodes of your life. Maybe you’ve been a soldier, competitive athlete, accomplished professional or victim of a tragedy. These tales will more likely keep the reader involved than if you go into great detail about raising your children. With this reader in mind, you also have more freedom to describe adult-oriented situations with language appropriate for that readership.

You may even want to write two autobiographies. One can be a G-rated memoir for your family, while the other takes a more sophisticated approach. Bottom line is that I agree with Mr. Vonnegut: you want your life story to be focused and healthy, not to catch pneumonia!

Everyone Wants Something!

by

In applying some general writing rules to your memoirs, I’m up to Rule 3 of Kurt Vonnegut’s eight rules for writing a short story.

Rule 3: Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

This rule makes me laugh. I think Vonnegut is saying that you shouldn’t bring in characters unless you give the reader some understanding of what motivates that character and what that person is seeking. I’m not sure this applies to an autobiography, though. In fiction, you have more of a choice about introducing and developing characters than you do as a narrator of a true life story. For example, you may name a grandparent who died when you were too young to recall a lot about the person, and you can’t just make it up! You may talk about a teacher in terms of how that person impacted your life, but you’re not really concerned with the teacher’s own needs and desires.

What I think you can take from this rule, though, is to be open and analytical about what you want at each stage of your life. Don’t just describe what happens; clarify what you hoped would happen, what you wanted to get from your relationships and why you pursued the goals you did. If you also feel it’s useful to flesh out some of the other people in your life, keep in mind Vonnegut’s third rule of delving into those people’s dreams and expectations.

Letters and Email Hold Memories for Your Memoir

by

Think about it: you’ve already written much about your life story. Before about ten years ago, we called these write-ups “letters???; we wrote them on paper and mailed them to friends. Today, of course, we do that through email and blogs, and we may forego capitalization and proper spelling and grammar—but we do still share our emotions and recount our activities for all those interested in reading about us. So consider how much is already out there for you to capture.

The obvious advantage in getting hold of your own past writing is that you don’t have to write that part again! The other benefit is that your recollection of the described events will be fresher than it will be if you try to write about it now. Even if you don’t use what you’ve written word for word, your previous writings can serve as part of your research. Certainly if you were writing a biography of someone else, you’d be interested in attaining copies of that person’s original letters and emails.

Many people save letters and emails. It wouldn’t hurt to ask your friends and relatives to search through their attics and inboxes for stacks of your mail and “search results??? of your email. I’ll bet it will provide fascinating reading for you, and when you glean the important sections to include in your memoirs, it will prove just as fascinating for your readers.

Original Interviews Can Help You Write Memoirs

by

When I write my memoirs I plan to mix personal reflection and research with original interviews. I suggest you do this as well. You don’t have to interview everyone you’ve ever known, but I bet you’ll get some great material for inclusion in your life story if you talk to even a few of the people who have influenced you or impacted the direction that your life has taken.

If your parents are alive, get them to a tape or video recorder immediately! They will prove to be rich sources of information about your early life. An aunt, uncle, older neighbor or family friend can substitute or supplement if necessary. How about a teacher or professor? Even if he or she doesn’t remember much about you as a student, a teacher can describe the educational practices of the time and save you hours in the library or on the Internet, especially since the information will relate to the school you actually attended.

Your best friend while growing up, coming of age or during adulthood can lend yet a different perspective, as can a spouse. Even your children will be helpful in providing a vantage point that, by definition, you are incapable of having yourself. In rehashing old stories, my kids often serve up insight that reflects on my parenting. Sometimes their younger minds recall details that have not stuck with me. The simple interview can be enlightening as you write your memoirs and fill a lot of factual holes!

Own Your Life Story—Or Someone Else Might

by
Own Your Life Story—Or Someone Else Might
You’re probably not nearly as famous as poet Emily Dickinson. But if you’re on the fence about whether to write your memoirs, you might want to consider what’s still happening 124 years after Dickinson’s death.
The New York Times last Sunday reviewed Lives Like Loaded Guns, just the latest in a series of Emily Dickinson biographies that guess, speculate, presume and assume regarding all sorts of details involving the somewhat mysterious Miss Dickinson and the feuds that allegedly drew in her family. The book reviewer, Christopher Benfey, repeatedly questioned the assumptions made by the book’s author, Lyndall Gordon. Further, Benfey addressed Gordon’s assertion that “Dickinson scholars remain divided??? about their subject’s feelings toward two particular people in her life.
Most likely your life story will not attract scholars, much less be fascinating enough to divide them. Still, there are lots of people writing memoirs, and you just might end up mentioned in one of them. When you’re the one writing about your own life, you will set straight all the facts and explain your feelings about the people around you. No one will have to wonder why you quit that job, broke up that romance, chose to pursue that area of study or did whatever it is that will remain an inaccessible fact if other people are the only ones who write about you.

You’re probably not nearly as famous as poet Emily Dickinson. But if you’re on the fence about whether to write your memoirs, you might want to consider what’s still happening 124 years after Dickinson’s death.

The New York Times last Sunday reviewed Lives Like Loaded Guns, just the latest in a series of Emily Dickinson biographies that guess, speculate, presume and assume regarding all sorts of details involving the somewhat mysterious Miss Dickinson and the feuds that allegedly drew in her family. The book reviewer, Christopher Benfey, repeatedly questioned the assumptions made by the book’s author, Lyndall Gordon. Further, Benfey addressed Gordon’s assertion that “Dickinson scholars remain divided??? about their subject’s feelings toward two particular people in her life.

Most likely your life story will not attract scholars, much less be fascinating enough to divide them. Still, there are lots of people writing memoirs, and you just might end up mentioned in one of them. When you’re the one writing about your own life, you will set straight all the facts and explain your feelings about the people around you. No one will have to wonder why you quit that job, broke up that romance, chose to pursue that area of study or did whatever it is that will remain an inaccessible fact if other people are the only ones who write about you.

Use Description to Communicate Opinion in Your Memoirs

by

The whole point of writing a memoir is to tell the story of your life from your unique point of view. But, as with other types of writing, it can be most effective to let readers draw their own conclusions. This subtle difference lies in your style of description.

Let’s say you’re recalling how your met your childhood best friend. He was a teammate in Little League, but you didn’t know each other because you attended different schools. You could write: Tommy was a very good player, much more skilled than I was, so I was surprised when he seemed friendly to me right from the beginning. You’ve evaluated his ability, your ability and his friendliness, and you deliver to the reader no interesting details—just your conclusions.

Try it this way instead, more like a reporter: Tommy hit at least one home run every game, and as a short stop he could catch the wildest throws, then propel the ball like a bullet to the appropriate plate. I was thrilled to get on base at all, and out in center field I just prayed for pop flies to the infield. So I didn’t see it coming when Tommy patted me on the back after the first day of practice and challenged, “Race you to the Good Humor truck!??? Readers still conclude that Tommy was friendly and the better player, but this style engages them and makes them want to continue reading your memoir!

Mark Mother’s Day With Memoirs-Related Gift

by

Moms are a huge part of our life story, and Mother’s Day, coming up this Sunday, tends to make us nostalgic about growing up with mom raising us. If you’re far away, you’ll probably send your mother a card, gift or flowers. If you live locally, you’re likely to invite her for dinner or take her out to dinner. WriteMyMemoirs would love to be part of your Mother’s Day celebration.

Your mother is probably just as nostalgic as you are, if not more. Why not show her how to sign up and join WriteMyMemoirs? Then show her how to start writing her memoirs, and after that she should find it easy to continue the process on her own. It’s special to give her the gift of your time to sit with her and show her how to navigate the website, and it’s even more special to tell her that you appreciate the effort she’ll make in writing down her personal history. I assure you that you’ll learn a lot about your mother from her memoirs.

Another approach would be to share with her your own goal of writing your memoirs. You could devote a chapter to your parents, or you could even dedicate your book to your mom. If, like me, your mother has passed on, a dedication is a great way to honor her. And if you’re the mom now? Completing your memoirs for your children to read will make a wonderful gift back to them!

Login

Then just set up a chapter and start writing your memoir. Don’t worry about rules. There are no rules to writing your memoir; there are only trends. These trends are based on techniques and features identified in current top-selling memoirs. At best, they’re the flavor of the month. If you’re capturing your life in print for your family, for your own gratification or to inspire readers, rather than aiming to set off Hollywood screenplay bidding wars, these trends don’t even apply to you. You’ll write the memoir that suits you best, and it will be timeless, not trend-driven.There are no rules, but there are four steps:

1. Theme/framework
2. Writing
3. Editing/polishing
4. Self-publishing

You’ve researched this, too, and you’ve been shocked at the price for getting help with any one of those steps, much less all four. That’s because most memoir sites promise to commercialize your work. They’ll follow a formula based on current memoir trends, because they want to convince you that they can turn your memoir into a best-seller. These sites overwhelm you with unnecessary information not to help you, the memoir author, but to address Search Engine Optimization (SEO) algorithms so they can sell more.

That’s not what we do at Write My Memoirs. Our small community of coaches, writers and editors are every bit as skilled as any you’ll find, and we charge appropriately for their expertise and the time they’ll spend helping you craft a compelling, enjoyable read. But you won’t pay an upcharge for other websites’ commercialization, the marketing that follows, and the pages of intimidating “advice.” You can sell your book if you like—we have ISBNs available for you—but our organic process of capturing your story takes a noncommercial path.

If you want help with any or all of the four steps above, choose from our services or save money by selecting one of our packages. If you’d like to talk about what’s right for you, schedule a call. One year from now, you can be holding your published memoir in your hand. And at that point, it will be a big deal!

Schedule A Call