10 Tips for Staying Motivated!

Staying motivated through any big project can be a challenge. Whether you are recording your life stories, your family history, or putting together a special photo project, there are a few things you can do to make sure you stay motivated. Here are 10 tips you may find helpful: Define exactly what it is the you are going to accomplish and when ...  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

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

New Year’s Resolution: Write My Memoirs

Did you do it? Did you say it out loud or just think it? Is this the first time you've told yourself that it's time? You are not alone. There are lots of people out there that would like to write their memoirs or autobiographies and it sometimes lingers in the back of their minds until finally, one day they get started. Others let it linger too ...  Read More

“A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words”

This is Part 5 in a five-part series on "Preparing to Write Your Memoir". Hopefully in Step 2, you were able to think of some photos that you would like to include in your memoir or autobiography. For the recent years, you probably have photos on your computer. For the older photos, there will be frames, photo albums, shoe boxes and you may ...  Read More

Filling in the Gaps

This is Part 4 in a five part series on "Preparing to Write Your Memoir". In Part 2 of our series, you may have made some notes about people with whom you could talk to add more insight to your stories. Now is great time to make those phone calls or send e-mail messages with specific questions. You may be surprised to find that talking about it ...  Read More

Getting out of the Gate…

This is Part 2 in a five part series on "Preparing to Write Your Memoir". Now that you’ve made the decision to write your memoir or autobiography, you will want to get out of the gate quickly to further solidify your commitment. Grab your notebook or binder and start by going to that section titled “Stories I Definitely Want to Include”. ...  Read More

Gather Your Tools!

This is Part 1 in a five part series on "Preparing to Write Your Memoir". Whether you've just started thinking about writing your memoir or autobiography or you've been taking notes and kicking the idea around for some time, this series will help you streamline the process and get it done! Toolkit At the very least, you should probably ...  Read More

Preparing to Write Your Memoir

"Preparing to Write Your Memoir" (or Autobiography) is a five-part series with tips and tools to help you get ready to jump in and write. We break it down into simple steps so before you know it, you'll be knocking out your first chapter! Gather Your Tools - Part 1 will help make sure you have all that you need to stay organized and keep ...  Read More

Using Scrivener to Organize Your Memoir

If you are planning to write and organize your memoir on a computer, you might really enjoy a software application called Scrivener. It is designed for writers and has a ton of features that make it easy to write and organize any type of book. There is a little learning curve for understanding all of the features, but there are plenty of video ...  Read More

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