We are all slow learners! And if you're a writer at heart, the process of writing your memoir, and revising it, can be quite beautiful. My biggest advice regarding revision, is to make sure it's clear to you what each chapter is looking to accomplish (reinstate the theme? move my story forward? show my character growth? Give closure to a topic?) then set some attainable yet comfortable deadlines you'd like to have (i.e. Ch 3 needs to be done in 1 month) and just work on that chapter for that month specifically.

When the month is up, let it go. And move on to the next one.

I also encourage the memoir writers I work with to create a beautiful writing space, even it's just the kitchen table. You want to feel good by being there (flowers, a rock, a book, a cup of coffee/tea, a photograph, a piece of clothing—anything that makes you feel present and appreciated).

Hi Judy! Many people turn their personal blog posts into a memoir when there is a common theme throughout them, and I'm positive you will be able to do the same. What we love about memoir is it's "relatability," how we have either experienced the same thing, or something close to it. But if we haven't, then, we are drawn in because the writer is able to place us right there in their experience, so we feel, hear, smell, touch, and fear the same things (this happened to me with Tara Westover's "Educated".

I'm looking forward to reading yours, Jenny.

I also agree how important it is not to pressure yourself that you are "writing a memoir." I'm now doing a long blog series that I hope will one day become a worthy memoir, but with pressure off I'm enjoying the process so much more.

And yes, Linda, I wholeheartedly agree that a memoir not only does not need to be about your whole life but should not be. Memoir, ideally, is about a time of your life, how certain experiences formed and shaped you. That focus helps the writer and the reader.

Thank you for this. I look forward to the next posts in the series.

It's an interesting experience Denise. More challenging that some people think. However, the rewards can be amazing. The good thing about memoir these days is that it doesn't have to be your whole life story. It can be an incident, something that happened over a weekend or a few years, or about a period of your life. I think picking a "this is what I learned" moment and working that story of how you got there is a good way to practice. I encourage you to try it!

I'd never written one until the last few years. I just had a story that wouldn't leave me alone - the one story that when I shared it with people, it left them breathless. When that kept happening, I knew I had to write it.

denise