It can be a scary process to think of sharing your life story with the public, either in print or in a film. A few years ago, I self-published a memoir and learned a lot from that experience. It’s one thing to tell a friend one of your personal stories, but it’s quite another to explain it to a stranger, a book buyer. To get the general book-buying public interested in your story, well, that takes extra effort. You need to gain attention and keep it. Before you reveal your innermost personal history, you have to do your story justice while also making it compelling to others to give them a reason to grab it.

I always encourage people to write about their lives because even “ordinary” people have amazing stories. The possibilities are endless when it comes to memoirs. However, turning memories into a book requires more steps. To get you started, here are a few lessons from my experience writing my own memoir and working with others to write theirs that I recommend applying to your process.

Tip #1: Treat the beginning memoir process as a journaling exercise

• Begin writing in a quiet place.
• Good stories include sensory information - sit quietly and reflect.
• Put yourself back in that place and time - write what you see, hear and smell.
• Emotional and traumatic stories require even more care than that.
• Be kind to yourself in the process.

Tip #2: Make the story believable

• Don’t be afraid to be honest.
• Make sure it has conflict/drama or it won’t satisfy.
• Give it a natural story arc.
• Include all the elements a story requires.

Tip #3: Weigh the pros and cons of mentioning actual people in your memoir

• Do you want to reveal their names and their relationship to you?
• Or should you change names and make them anonymous?
• Be aware of how others are represented - they are real people with real reactions.
• Ask for permission or to give a heads up.

Tip#4: Watch true stories that have been turned into films – there are many

• See what elements make that film interesting.
• What makes you emotional?
• What makes you happy or sad at the end of it?
• What makes the characters watchable, charismatic, or striking?

Tip #5: Memoirs are often turned into films. This is your chance to get your story ready

• Memoirs are not vanity projects - it takes bravery to tell your story.
• Most fictional characters are based on real people.
• Write with that eventual film as your goal.

As time passes, just as when you get older and wiser, your memoir will have more wisdom to offer. Share that!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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