Basically, writing a memoir could and should change someone's life. The biggest thing people wonder about is if they really should write it to begin with. Human beings crave stories which teach or inspire us so we keep reaching on for greater heights. Getting the words down is not really that hard, most writers face this. Finding stories isn't that hard either, everyone has some kind of story to tell. Deciding to really do it is the difficult part. Once you have moved past this, there are some simple dos and don'ts everyone can benefit from.
Take some time to sit down and read through some other biographies. Get an idea for how other authors piece things together for mood and flow. Get an idea for how the genre and the market are at the present time for what does and does not work. This could also give you some ideas of what to include in it.
Try to be honest. This does not mean you have to throw people under the bus, but people respond to honesty. This also means your goal should not be an autobiography. This is just a list of events with no real substance. Being honest is telling the stories from your perspective to share with other people.
Try to be somewhat entertaining. People read books for their entertainment value to begin with. Have your readers wants in mind so you can write in a ways which engage them. These details will engage your readers much better than dry historical events with no connection to them.
Try to convey an entire story from the start to finish. Many new writers seem to fail in this area. Think things through carefully and always follow them to the end. Begin with a plan. Start with the beginning, the middle and your end. Follow a set plan by setting up deadlines, grouping your ideas, and following an outline. This can be the biggest difference between succeeding and failing.
Try not to confuse what you are doing with psychotherapy. Shrinks charge a lot of money to listen to this stuff, not readers. Typically people are not drawn in by the internal ramblings of some one who should be hospitalized. Save this stuff for personal journals or specialized doctors. It may be good for the writer, but readers generally do not want to hear about traumatic events.
Try not including every detail about events because it's how it seemed to happen. Writing about walking out to get the bus every day at nine years old is likely to put your readers to bed. Use discretion because some stories are noteworthy while some are not. Details can be a good thing, just not everything.
Writing a memoir can be a life changing experience, not just for you but for the people that take the time to read it as well. As final thought, if you find that you have difficulties with the writing aspect you could always hire a ghostwriter. They are people who specialize in stories using other peoples thoughts. The price will very depending on how good the writer is. Now go out and change someones life.
Take some time to sit down and read through some other biographies. Get an idea for how other authors piece things together for mood and flow. Get an idea for how the genre and the market are at the present time for what does and does not work. This could also give you some ideas of what to include in it.
Try to be honest. This does not mean you have to throw people under the bus, but people respond to honesty. This also means your goal should not be an autobiography. This is just a list of events with no real substance. Being honest is telling the stories from your perspective to share with other people.
Try to be somewhat entertaining. People read books for their entertainment value to begin with. Have your readers wants in mind so you can write in a ways which engage them. These details will engage your readers much better than dry historical events with no connection to them.
Try to convey an entire story from the start to finish. Many new writers seem to fail in this area. Think things through carefully and always follow them to the end. Begin with a plan. Start with the beginning, the middle and your end. Follow a set plan by setting up deadlines, grouping your ideas, and following an outline. This can be the biggest difference between succeeding and failing.
Try not to confuse what you are doing with psychotherapy. Shrinks charge a lot of money to listen to this stuff, not readers. Typically people are not drawn in by the internal ramblings of some one who should be hospitalized. Save this stuff for personal journals or specialized doctors. It may be good for the writer, but readers generally do not want to hear about traumatic events.
Try not including every detail about events because it's how it seemed to happen. Writing about walking out to get the bus every day at nine years old is likely to put your readers to bed. Use discretion because some stories are noteworthy while some are not. Details can be a good thing, just not everything.
Writing a memoir can be a life changing experience, not just for you but for the people that take the time to read it as well. As final thought, if you find that you have difficulties with the writing aspect you could always hire a ghostwriter. They are people who specialize in stories using other peoples thoughts. The price will very depending on how good the writer is. Now go out and change someones life.
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