How to Start Writing Your Memoir

Are you thinking of starting your memoir? Writing a memoir can be beautiful, as the genre allows authors to share their unique experiences and perspectives with the world. However, getting started can seem pretty intimidating.  Therefore, we’d like to share a couple of tips with you on how to start writing your memoir. 

First and foremost, the best thing you can do for yourself is write every day. Writing every day will help you develop a routine to dedicate time to writing your memoir. It’s wise to choose a place and time to write and establish a minimum daily word count goal to keep yourself in check. Whether you’re working towards a publisher’s deadline or your own, writing every day and sticking to a plan will ensure that you’re keeping a good pace. 

Nevertheless, if you’re struggling with writer’s block and have trouble meeting your goals, there’s no need to stress. Daily tasks such as doing creative writing exercises can help strengthen your skills and bring forth new ideas. Most importantly, regarding how to start writing your memoir, it’s imperative that you be diligent, consistent, and set goals for yourself.

Furthermore, an essential tip for how to start writing your memoir is to avoid writing your entire autobiography. A memoir is not your whole life story in a book. Instead, a memoir shares meaningful moments that affected the course of your life. So, before you start writing, plan what you want to focus on to show how a significant experience has helped shape you.

Moreover, it’s wise to collapse characters and events when writing a memoir. You may feel tempted to include all your loved ones as you write. However, you don’t want to get ahead of yourself and risk crowding your story. Instead, focus only on the individuals and specific events essential to the story’s themes to keep a good flow.

Lastly, an important tip to keep in mind for how to start writing your memoir is to avoid starting from the beginning. Usually, memoirs are not chronological. Instead, memoirists tend to begin with a compelling moment or story to hook the reader. Starting from the beginning can make for a dull opening and lose your audience. So, focus on opening your memoir with a great hook, and don’t worry about following a chronological order.

We hope the tips we’ve shared with you on how to start writing your memoir have been helpful and motivated you to start writing!

Langtons International Agency has a catalog consisting of excellent memoirs, and we are always happy to look at your work.