So you’re cruising along, writing your life story and suddenly, you run head-first into an ethical dilemma. If you tell your story the way you intended, someone’s going to be hurt. Maybe you’re the victim of a crime or even a participant in a crime. Maybe a friend or family member has skeletons they’d really prefer to be left in the closet. If you tell the full story, someone may be imprisoned, revealed, or merely embarrassed. What do you do? Do you lie, prevaricate? Or do you tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?  When is it acceptable to lie, and when is it not? Lie…

Have you given any thought to why you want to write your life story?  There are many reasons for writing memoirs, different for every individual.  Before you start on such a large project, you should have a clear grasp of your own purpose in order to avoid a lot of re-writing later.  Without clarity, your story could be confused, rambling and full of holes.  With a solid “Why” or purpose, your story will be coherent with a clear narrative drive that pulls your reader along and keeps him engaged. The Purpose of Memoirs Often when an individual wants to write their life story it may be a way to leave…