How to Write Your Memoirs

Everyone says they want to write their memoirs. Some have had fascinating lives. Others just want to preserve what happened in their lives for their grandchildren. Whatever your goal when writing memoirs, the first step is just getting started.

Organizing Your Thoughts

It's hard for most books to know where to start. With memoirs, it's easier: you know what the beginning is. Start with your earliest memories and move forward. Organize your life into segments -- your childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age. Further subdivide this by the things that happened in your life. Did you have military service? That will be at least one section, and possibly more. Did you have a traumatic childhood? This can be subdivided. Do you want to record a section about your parents or grandparents and their history? Another section.

Write down what you think the logical sections are, and then revisit your list a week later. You'll find that you have forgotten some critical parts in your life you want to include.

Next, go through your memory boxes and photo albums. To the extent that you can, organize them into sections matching the parts you've divided your life into. This will help trigger memories you may have forgotten, as well as giving you reference material you can use when you can't remember specifics, like dates and time.

Take It Slow

Once you're organized, you can start writing down your memories. You may feel overwhelmed at the task you have in front of you. Take it slowly.

Write your memories down a section at a time. It can go in any order, though most people find it easier to write from the beginning through. If your World War II memories are the strongest, though, write those first if you like.

The key is to finish each segment as you get to it. Your fear of the blank page will quickly be overcome as you get all those memories down on paper. Soon, your biggest problem will be getting everything down fast enough as the memories start flooding back to you.

If Memories Come Too Fast