Often the most difficult step for a would be writer is to go from having an idea that floats around in their head, to putting words down on paper that will eventually constitute, hopefully, a book. Many people say they have experienced something that they would like to write about, but few actually find the drive and commitment to see that wish through.
Here are some tips for getting started writing your memoir.
Have Confidence in Your Memoir Idea
One of the main inhibitors for many writers is the thought ‘Is my idea good enough?’. Not many new writers have the confidence to say a resounding ‘Of course it is’, but the reality is, you will only know once you’ve given it a try.
You could try discussing your idea with friends and family but you do risk having your confidence knocked before you’ve actually tried writing about your experience. What you describe to others can be very different when written down as your memoir. Be selective about who you discuss your idea with; at this stage it's important to find people who are supportive and encouraging.
Part of the craft of a good writer is being about to bring an experience to life. So the final quality of your writing is not only determined by the idea itself but by how well you write about it. Often it isn’t until you’ve begun writing that you can really consider whether it is worthy of your time and effort.
Test Your Commitment to Writing
Writing a memoir isn’t something that you can do over a weekend. It takes a lot of time and a lot of commitment. It will likely take you many months if not years, and consume time that you could otherwise spend on other activities that you really enjoy. So how important is it to you, to write your memoir?
For more information see Who Can Write a Memoir
Brainstorm Your Idea
An idea is one thing, but working about what to write about is another. Before you think about the starting chapter try brainstorming all your ideas down on a piece of paper. They don’t need to be in any order, and they don’t even need to be great ideas, just jot them all down. Don’t judge them or re-read them as you are brainstorming. Just get everything down that you can think of. Allow yourself the freedom to write down everything that comes to mind when you then about what you want to write about. You might go off at tangents – that’s ok. It’s ok if it’s no good, it’s ok if it’s not relevant, you can test it later whether you want to work with any of the ideas further.
Hopefully once you have your brainstorming down on paper you have the basis for your memoir idea. Try and link relevant thoughts together. Review all your ideas and decide which are the ones you’d like to explore in more detail. You might even have enough ideas to have a basic outline of chapters.
Rather than starting your memoir by sitting down and writing the first chapter, it can be more helpful to do some planning first. Think about your idea and try to come up with as many thoughts as you can about the topic. This will help you understand if you have enough to write about and if you really think you want to write about your experience. Writing is about commitment, so it’s important that before you put pen to paper, that you are confident in your idea and committed to finishing your memoir.
For some inspiration to get writing you might want to read Summertime, A Reason to Get Writing.
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