In any life stories project, writing about family and friends can be one of the most challenging issues. Of course, you want the stories to be truthful and complete, but there are all sorts of worries and concerns that may arise when you start writing about your own family and friends. Here are some common concerns... Fear of making someone ... Read More
Memoir & Autobiography Writing Articles
If you are not a professional writer, but are thinking about writing your memoir or autobiography, you're in the right place! We will do our best to provide answers to the questions you may encounter on your journey.
Life Stories in a Three-Ring Binder
One of the themes you may have noticed around here is that we want to encourage you to not only start your life stories project, but also to FINISH it. If you have made the effort to write it all down, don't let obstacles near the finish line set you back. If nothing else, print or copy your work on 3-hole punch paper and put it in a three-ring ... Read More
What Qualities Make a Good Memoir?
The range of topics and styles in memoir writing is enormous. So to answer the question "What qualities make a good memoir?", I decided to read customer reviews on a bunch of memoirs on Amazon. I noted adjectives that were commonly used throughout the reviews. It was actually surprising to find the same words and phrases used to describe wildly ... Read More
How to Write a Cookbook Memoir
Recently a friend shared with me cookbook memoir written by a friend of hers. As I looked through the pages of recipes, stories, and family photos, I knew this type of memoir would be a great fit for some of my readers, even some of us who don't consider ourselves "cooks". Many of us have memories that are either centered on or connected to the ... Read More
Do You Have What it Takes to Write a Memoir?
Have you been thinking about preserving your life stories, but wondering if you have what it takes to write a memoir or autobiography? Most of MemoirHelper.com is geared for people who don't write professionally and are only hoping to share their stories with family, friends, and future generations. This simple exercise was designed to help ... Read More
Writing About Negative Experiences
Many memoir writers struggle with writing about negative experiences, even though they are vital to explaining the writer's point of view. Some people just don't like to "dwell on the negative" while others are uncomfortable sharing their worst moments or traits, or those of someone they love. There are at least a couple of reasons that you ... Read More
Did you see our articles on…?
Occasionally, MemoirHelper.com will contribute articles to the other websites. We don't you to miss out, so we will post excerpts and links to them here! On March 31st, 2016, we contributed this article to AmericasFootprints.com... Writing Letters to Share Later A friend of mine once told me that he had started writing letters to his ... Read More
What is Autobiography?
Autobiography is a non-fiction writing genre. However, people asking the question "What is autobiography?" are often wanting to know the specific characteristics that make autobiography different from other non-fiction genres like memoir. So first take a look at the definitions. Autobiography (definition from Dictionary.com) - a history of a ... Read More
Why Do You Believe What You Believe?
The answer to the question "Why Do You Believe What You Believe?" is often left to the interpretation of those who know only what you believe. A few days ago, I had a conversation with a gentleman who didn't want to leave those interpretations to chance. He had some very strong opinions on topics that at a glance didn't align with other positions ... Read More
Define: Memoir vs Autobiography
First let's just say that not all dictionary definitions make it clear that there is a difference. However, most of the writing experts define memoir vs autobiography something like this: An autobiography is chronological and covers an entire life. The dates should be accurate and the stories should be true. A memoir is about a specific ... Read More
