My life's not that interesting."
That's what someone wrote in the comment section of a memoir survey I sent a while ago.
It's not what I expected, and I don't believe it's true.
After all, what makes an interesting life to one person may not be interesting to another. Is an interesting life one with lots of travel? A successful career? Life on a farm? Sailing around the world? Lots of dinner parties and dancing?
Any one of those things might fill your days, but I'm not sure it would guarantee a good memoir. What makes a good memoir is your take on the world ... how you see things. And why they matter.
That's what people want to read.
Memoirs that offer a behind-the-scenes look at how someone created or experienced something can be reassuring, educational, and inspiring.
The stories that resonate with people are the ones they can relate to ... stories that remind them about something they've experienced ... or want to experience.
I like to write about the curious ways the commonplace surprises me.
Write about what you've seen, where you've been, and what you learned.
The stories you tell could be about pets you've had, your first job, how you started your business, or what it was like that first ... and only time you went to summer camp. It's our common experiences, disappointments, life-affirming joy, and success that people are looking to connect with.
What did you see? How did it make you feel? What did you learn?
Write about that.
The more you write the easier it gets and you'll find and think of more story ideas as you go.
That's what someone wrote in the comment section of a memoir survey I sent a while ago.
It's not what I expected, and I don't believe it's true.
After all, what makes an interesting life to one person may not be interesting to another. Is an interesting life one with lots of travel? A successful career? Life on a farm? Sailing around the world? Lots of dinner parties and dancing?
Any one of those things might fill your days, but I'm not sure it would guarantee a good memoir. What makes a good memoir is your take on the world ... how you see things. And why they matter.
That's what people want to read.
Memoirs that offer a behind-the-scenes look at how someone created or experienced something can be reassuring, educational, and inspiring.
The stories that resonate with people are the ones they can relate to ... stories that remind them about something they've experienced ... or want to experience.
I like to write about the curious ways the commonplace surprises me.
Write about what you've seen, where you've been, and what you learned.
The stories you tell could be about pets you've had, your first job, how you started your business, or what it was like that first ... and only time you went to summer camp. It's our common experiences, disappointments, life-affirming joy, and success that people are looking to connect with.
What did you see? How did it make you feel? What did you learn?
Write about that.
The more you write the easier it gets and you'll find and think of more story ideas as you go.