Memoirs

How Do I Write My Memoirs?

 

Are you stuck trying to write your life story?

By the time we become seniors, most of us have come to the realization that we’ve left it too late. We think we’d like to write our memoirs, but we never got around to asking our parents the important questions: How did they meet? Who was their first love? How did they become the people they ended up being?

 

How Did I Get Here?

picture of little kid kissing another little kid

Then there are the questions about our own history: What was I like as a toddler? Who was my best friend in kindergarten? Where did my first pet come from? What was my first word, my biggest fear, or a myriad of other events that I can no longer recall?

 

What about the skeletons in the closet that our lost family members never talked about, or the treasure trove of heartwarming stories that have died with them? How do we handle friends or relatives who may not want some of these stories and secrets revealed?

 

Leaving a Legacy

drawing of a cluttered desk

These unanswered questions often result in a desire to leave our own written legacy for our children and grandchildren, in as much detail as we can. The problem is, most of us don’t know how or where to start, what to keep and what to leave out. Writing a biography or autobiography can be an overwhelming task for someone who is just starting out and even for those who have experience writing fiction or how-to books, it can be daunting.

 

If you aren’t sure how to organize your information or even how to find it…if you don’t know how to do research, write compelling copy or dialogue, how to keep your reader interested…in short, how to write a memoir, this is the place to start.

 

picture of elderly hands typing on a laptop

Planning, organizing and writing – particularly writing in a way that engages people and makes them want to read what you have to say – all these things are important, but most important of all is to have fun while you’re writing your life story.  Enjoy the process. It will show up in your final product.

Writing Is the Easy Part.
It’s Getting Started that’s Hard.

One of the most difficult problems for writers is Writer’s Block, otherwise known as Procrastination. But what most don’t know is that there are preliminary steps which trigger your procrastination habit.

 

I’ve created a PDF that can get you started on the journey towards completing your memoir or autobiography.  This little mini-course outlines four types of procrastination triggers and how they work to stop you from writing, as well as the steps to take to overcome the procrastination habit.  It’s chock-full of useful, actionable information that will get you past writer’s block and get you started on your project. Entitled “Four Procrastination Triggers and How to Spot Them” it contains a breakdown of the ways you can identify how you so often sabotage yourself as well as how to overcome this insidious habit. It’s specifically designed to help you get past your “stuckness”. Yeah, I know…not a real word, but descriptive, nonetheless.

 

If you’d like your own copy of this valuable training, all you have to do is fill in your information and click on the button in the “Are You A Procrastinator?” subscription form on the top right of this page.

 

Trained as an artist in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, I was one of the first creatives to be employed in the computer graphics industry in Toronto during the early 1980’s. For several years, I exhibited my animal portraiture in Canada and the U.S. but when my parents needed care, I began writing as a way to stay close to them. I’ve been writing ever since. I run a highly successful local writer’s circle, teaching the craft and techniques of good writing. Many of my students have gone on to publish works of their own. I create courses aimed at seniors who wish to write memoirs, with a focus on the psychology of creatives and the alleviation of procrastination and writer's block.

5 Comments

  • Rosemary Merkley

    Really like the information presented here. Beverly are you or your family from Midland Ont. I think That I heard your name growing up. I could be wrong of course. My mother was Mae Merkley.

  • Ernest Somers

    Everyone has a story to tell. One might think that no one is interested in knowing your story, but they will. I for one wish that I knew more about family that have passed. A memoir is not only important to future generations who may wish to know their family roots, but a wonderful way for the writer to revisit one’s past.

    Bev, I do wish you every success with this endeavour. Should you wish to visit/refer my effort to leave a bit of this and that for my family …https://www.blurb.ca/books/10310324-aurora-borealis

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