So you want to write a memoir? 12 Tips on Writing a Memoir

In 2010, I self-published YES I CAN, My Bipolar Journey. Shockingly, I forgot to put a date on it, so I'm guessing 2010.

Here's the back cover. Look how tiny little Max, the Moonlover, was!



One of my former therapy clients has a friend who wants to write a memoir.

I just finished writing this, and hope it's helpful to him.

12 TIPS ON WRITING A MEMOIR 

One. Meditate on why you want to write a memoir. 

Two. Read memoirs you like, such as A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, Out of Africa by Karen Blixen, Night by Elie Wiesel, Return to India by Shoba Narayan, and A Serendipitous Life: From German POW to American Psychiatrist by Karl Rickels. 

Three. Carry a pad of paper or a smart phone and jot down ideas to write about. 

Four.  Who is your audience? The general public? Readers interested in illness, addiction, rare diseases?  

Five.   Hone your writing abilities. No matter how fascinating your story, readers will never get past the first page unless you are a good, if not excellent, writer. Compose whenever you get a chance. We are not talking e-mails here. Mail friends real letters. As you fashion each sentence, make it the best you can. Do not repeat words. The word “compose,” for example, may have been written as “write.”   

Be as precise as possible. Instead of writing “Send friends real letters,” go with “Mail friends real letters.” 

Six. Adhere to a schedule. Many writers claim the early morning is their best time to write. Their creative powers are alert and alive. At night, keep a pad on your bedside table for when inspiration comes. 

Seven. Do not depend on inspiration to strike you. If it is 10 a.m., your writing time, and you can't think of anything to write, sit at your computer and re-read what you have written the day before. Walk around the room. Look out the window. Music? Certainly.   

Eight. Whether you’re a believer or not, pray. Close your eyes and ask The Almighty to help you in this immense endeavor you’ve undertaken. 

Nine. Avoid food when you write. Instead, drink liquids – with or without caffeine – you may even enjoy sipping on hot chicken broth or vegetable broth if you’re a vegetarian. 

Ten. Main points to cover. Suggestions include when did you decide to write your memoir. What is different about your memoir from the millions that have already been written. Notable incidents from childhood. Description is paramount. The reader must feel he or she is swimming in a backyard swimming pool when geese fly overhead, honking. 

Eleven. How to divide your book. If you’ve lived in different places, you may write:  San Francisco; Los Angeles; Sitka, Alaska; Quebec, Canada. 

          Also you may divide by the seasons: Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall. 

Twelve. Every human being has failed numerous times. We’ve been fired from jobs, have had failed relationships, been humiliated, made terrible mistakes we wouldn’t do in hindsight. We must show our humanity. 

Write your memoir and then we’ll discuss publishing options.