Memoir Craft

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5 Reasons You Should Consider Writing Your Memoir in Present Tense

Present tense is tough to execute and doesn’t suit every writer or every memoir, but here are a few reasons to give it a try.
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Using Beat Sheets to Slant Your Memoir’s Scenes

Identifying your story’s turning point or “beats”, and the function each one serves, can help shape your material into a more focused narrative.
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Structure: The Safety Net for Your Memoir

The more faith you have in your story’s structure, the more you’ll become the safety net your reader is hoping for.
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3 Ways to Experiment with Memoir Structure to Improve Your Narrative Arc

Playing around with different storytelling forms during manuscript revision can lessen anxiety and reveal new possibilities.
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Demystifying Miscreant Memories and Crafting a More Authentic Narrative

Memoirists owe it to readers to tell them the truth. But what do you do when the truth isn’t black and white?
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Is It Worthwhile to Write My Memoir, Especially If a Publishing Deal Is Unlikely?

An experienced author of advanced age considers the value of tackling a memoir with resonant themes but a challenging road to publication.
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Mining Your Memories: 3 Forms of Memory Every Memoirist Must Know

Understanding how your memories work, and what to do with the less reliable ones, will help you with the meaning-making process.
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Decide Where You’re Standing in Time as You Write Your Memoir

Memoirists must make conscious decisions about time—the time frame of the story and where in time you are standing while telling your tale.
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Why Preparing a TED Talk Makes You a Better Memoirist (Even If You Never Intend to Get on Stage)

If you’re struggling to shape life experiences into a story, consider key points that illustrate a common thread, as if preparing a TED Talk.
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First Page Critique: Defining the Scope of Your Memoir

Readers don’t want to start a memoir already knowing the ending, but it’s important that your pitch specifically defines your story’s scope.
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How Can I Avoid Lawsuits When Writing Memoir?

Even lesser-known authors can experience legal issues if they don’t perform their due diligence while writing and revising their books.
How to Write a Hybrid Memoir

How to Write a Hybrid Memoir

Bridging the gap between research and personal experience can become a book’s greatest strength—but it might require Herculean effort.
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Deciding Between Simple and Complex Memoir Structures

Will you tell your story in a linear, chronological manner, or use a more complicated structure? Here’s how to decide what might be best.
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The Art of the Moment Memoir

There are many kinds of memoir, with one thing in common: their authors must ultimately possess the ability to artfully render the moment.
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Why Your Memoir Also Needs the Good and “Normal” Times

Showing the moments of normalcy brings the reader more fully into your life, and heightens the drama when traumatic events occur.
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When I Decided to Write My Own Story—And Not Someone Else’s

One author struggles to prioritize between major writing projects when time and energy are limited.
2 Methods for Structuring Your Memoir

2 Methods for Structuring Your Memoir

Authoring a memoir, the gift of hindsight allows you to invest moments with deeper meaning than they may have had at the time.
letters

Letter Writing as a Powerful Prompt

From Franz Kafka to Bob Dylan, history shows that letter writing can be a portal to discovery that benefits a wide variety of projects.
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Memoir Beyond the Self: Q&A with Lawrence Hill

In this Q&A, Hill discusses why he wanted his memoir to incorporate the observations and life experiences of other Canadians of mixed racial heritage.
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7 Common Mistakes in First-Time Memoir

Readers come to a memoir in hopes it will shed light on their own life experiences. Stay on the right track by focusing on what makes your story unique and engaging.
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How to Build a Compelling Narrative Arc for Your Memoir

There’s a big difference between writing a book for ourselves and writing one for the reader. In this guest post, nonfiction coach and memoirist Tanja Pajevic offers five steps to keep in mind when crafting your story.
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The Big Memoir Pitfall to Avoid

Perspective—gained from time and distance—can make the difference between an airing of grievances and a memoir that expresses deeper, universal truths.
Margaret McMullan memoir

Getting a Memoir Published in a Difficult Market: Q&A with Margaret McMullan

Even a well-published and successful author can have a difficult time finding a home for a memoir. Margaret McMullan discusses her path to publication.
the mature self of memoir

The Secret of Great Memoir: The Mature Self

Memoirists have to write their story, the events of their life, from a future perspective. From NOW. Now brings with it maturity, wisdom, insight, and grace. The mature self speaks from a place of distance but not detachment.
Taking the Risk to Write Deeply About Your Family History

Taking the Risk to Write Deeply About Your Family History

Poet and memoirist Benjamin Vogt discusses his own personal journey to learn his family's history.