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  • I want to write my memoirs. Where do I start?

I want to write my memoirs. Where do I start?

February 10, 2006 / Dave Taylor / Writing and Publishing / 14 Comments

I have an incredible story to tell. It’s true. I’m a 67 year old female that is burden with a burning desire to write my love story. I have no idea why. I’ve never written anything before. This urge is driving me crazy. It’s a remarkable story that covers 50 years of my life. Mostly in and around southern California. I would like to begin, but where? How do I proceed? Step one is???

I asked Richard Goode-Allen, a close friend of mine who writes books in this space and here’s what he had to share:
There’s no simple answer to this in a way. Do you have any sense of how to write or are you looking for a scribe, someone to turn your story into a story that can be shared? That sort of situation is common, as in, “you should write my story.”
I guess there are instances of people telling their story to someone and having them write it, but that’s usually a matter of hiring a ghost writer and there I don’t have the faintest clue of how to begin.
Another alternative is for you write it yourself. There you should start perhaps with a class. There are a lot of those out there, community colleges, continuing ed type stuff, especially around memoir as that has been so hot lately, (though we’ll have to see it if continues to be so after Frey and Oprah).
As for telling a love story specifically or a writer’s conference, you might start by checking out the Romance Writers of America. They are an organization for fiction writers specifically I think, but they tend to have good support and structure and chapters that are pretty supportive and little mini communities. They also offer a whole bunch of conferences where people might give you tips on getting started. Though any agent/editor etc. would want to know the book was done or well underway.
Hope that helps.

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Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!
biographies, memoirs, romance, romance writers of america

14 comments on “I want to write my memoirs. Where do I start?”

  1. carmelita cyr says:
    September 9, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    I want to write abt my years of addiction to drugs i have been told through profetic word from god that this is gods will,i dnt know where to begin or how to start is there anyone who can send me in a starting direction.

    Reply
  2. chris says:
    June 8, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    my daughter was murded in a hotel room in south africa 2000 ,i would like to write abook

    Reply
  3. cindy says:
    June 21, 2011 at 2:29 am

    i also have a story to tell that is very different from the stories above, i’m a lost soul, my first baby got a femur fracture when he was 6 months old, my second baby past away when he was 4 months old, and all of this happend at 2 different nursery schools. Any one interested in helping me please

    Reply
  4. Wendy says:
    February 2, 2011 at 1:13 am

    I just wana ask im a 19 year old girl stay with my grandmothr i have a verry painful story of mine to share and to tel hw i let every thing work and how i put every thing behind me and walked with my head heald high with pride by my side

    Reply
  5. mandy massey says:
    April 21, 2010 at 12:42 am

    when i was 3 years old my mam let my step father do what he wanted to me i am now 43 my dream is to write my own life story,i have done a bit of it plus i have kept diarys,but i dont know what i am doing all my life as been so sad horrible,all men have been violent to me 1 husband very violent neally killed me my children i know if my book was put together,i just know it would be an amazing book to read ,as i do not know at the end of it how i came through what i did,is there any one who can please give me any advice on how to go about doing this like i say i have done some of it my address is 13 cadogan street northormsby middlesbrough cleveland ts3 6px i would be very great full if any one can help me or give me some advice,as this as always been my dream i have achived nothing in my life,but i will do this i know i will thank you from mandy massey

    Reply
  6. Paula Stahel says:
    March 22, 2010 at 11:42 am

    The perfect place to begin, when searching for a ghost writer to hire in capturing your story, is the Association of Personal HIstorians! With more than 600 members around the world, we are THE pros, and know how to put your story together, whether in print, DVD or audio. Many of our members also teach classes in writing life stories and memoir, and several offer on-line courses.
    Every person’s life is a rich historical depository. Our passion is to help you preserve it!

    Reply
  7. Amelia says:
    September 8, 2009 at 10:04 am

    I’m a fifteen year old girl who has battled depression, and overcame a serious addiction to self-mutilation. I want to write a book and tell my story to help others who are in the same predicament I was in. I have no idea how to start it. Any ideas? I appreciate your time. Thank you.

    Reply
  8. Helly says:
    August 24, 2009 at 12:47 pm

    Open to any info on “How to” start my memoir? I have always wanted to be a writer but have no formal education or training. My passion to write this is unmeasurable. I just don’t know where to start? I have bought some books on it with writing expercises which has been helpful but I’m still at a stand still. I am bursting with ideas and memories and don’t want to lose them in my search.
    TY

    Reply
  9. Anushi says:
    February 13, 2009 at 4:10 am

    I don’t know where to start,anyway I’ll start from my birth, I was born to a couple of respectable people who worked to the government, but to say how much I was miserable my dad lost his job on my birth date!!!!.
    Finally he back the job and they traversed to most of the countries for jobs and I also accompanied them. I’ve few fainted memories of my childhood most of them are painful though my parents loved me a lot they had to sacrifice most of their time on there job which I always felt I’m been ignored.
    Time passed I settled back in my motherland and schooled gained my bachelor degree in a Sri Lankan university. I never fell in love before and found a guy at the university which I still believe is my soul mate,he still loves me a lot thats the only thing got gave me to feel happy.
    We got married last year and we both were Software Engineers professionally where we worked hard and earned some money.I and my husband never wanted our parents to help us financially and we didn’t want to have luxury life by owing the banks so what we did was saved every single rupee we earned. To be honest we helped our families from our bottom of hearts, but can you believe how miserable I am I lost all my savings to a faker who promised to sale a car, he escaped after getting the money which we saved even without eating properly. We made our minds thinking if this is what god wanted what can we do?? anyway we’ve our precious jobs and know one can steel it and we can save a bit and buy a car later on .But………….. god wasn’t happy he wanted to punish us more do you know what he did ??????? he redundant my position from my former company due to the economical crisis.Now its been 4 months and I still didn’t get a job. I feel so miserable feel like getting suicide some times. I’m surfing the net daily to find a job but still i didn’t get any luck.
    Please god at least make this read by people who’ve good hearts and at least offer us to work as freelancers. We’ll do our best. Please please god help us

    Reply
  10. XYZ says:
    October 30, 2008 at 3:47 am

    Painful Feelings like story but not a story exactly
    Nightingale like a diamond, I couldn’t get it
    To continue of part two …….. Still living for the voice off shore ‘YES’
    This is the character of that boy, he who has been tired to get the love
    And love is biased ……..
    When ugly bird was 21, he went to……..and met a girl named …….Nightingale was two year younger than ugly bird , they hit off and were eventually having attraction .at the time it was the thought of pretty normal undergraduate school romance of him .
    These were those days when he was in loved. He was residing at a place where a Nightingale made him crazy of her beauty. After a bit moment he begins to love her. It was not known to him ‘what it was actually ‘but her eyes delivered a lovely internal feelings of love. So he was addicted to gaze her continuously in a day but it was exactly stupid act of him .This event moved long time and behalf of this time, he got many chances to propose her but couldn’t he! Because he was waiting to success in his life that all thing could get done very well…Time spent all over and finally Nightingale got a professional course. The year after ugly duffer also got a professional course. Now it was time to propose her so he was very happy because he had been dreamed a lovely dream, which busted like pearls necklace and spread like blood in his joyful life. Since positive expectation it was! Therefore he has full faith that she is! She loves ugly face but mistakenly he was not aware of that, her proud will terminate his dreamed mansion and so it happened same like, as he had never thought before. She refused! She ignored! after getting of this shameful insignificant response, ugly bird felt himself that he is unlucky and like tita face over the world because as he proposed her , she replied , I don’t like you and I had had never such feelings for you but completely it was false , only time has changed and her feelings is no longer strong before the proud and modernized thinking .after all ignorance he continued to convince her that he loves her really and wanted to know the reason of ignorance but she did not give any answer and try to feign after justification , she doesn’t have any interest . As it seems she has not been ever! But it was not able to believe because she does have many boys entry in her life which is illegal also. Although he continued to convince her but she made him feel guilty of doing so. She was too proud but ‘as much as she proud to herself ‘his love was on the pick.
    On the other hand, he felt that she is in love with someone else but she always refused to it because she did like to see him crazy.
    Now he wants to forget her for ever but as he takes step, he is becoming near the heart of her.
    Nightingale knows that no one like to ugly bird …. It was not true! He does have many, who they like him…but ugly bird like only to nightingale.
    How bad fortune love it was!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  11. k.sri says:
    May 12, 2008 at 3:15 am

    Once upon a time a woman by name of Rani Devi gained the blessings of a holy sage because of her acts of charity and kindness.The sage granted her with a boon of magical powers, which would be handed down to each daughter in the generations coming up. However, a little disaster occurred just as the sage was bestowing powers on Rani – she sneezed over the sage. The irritated sage could not withdraw the gift he gave her but informed her that her and all of her lineage would be incapable of using the powers for a period of twenty-four hours if they acted stupid. Shararat revolves around Jiya (Shruti Seth), who is the great great great grand daughter of Rani Devi. The show opens with Jiya celebrating her 18th birthday and unknowingly, is now the wielder of supernatural powers. Jiya lives with her family: her father Dr. Suraj Malhotra, her mother Radha, her brother Jai and her grandmother Sushma, who she fondly refers to as ‘Nani’. Apart from this, there are a host of Jiya’s college friends and acquaintances such as Dhruv – who Jiya secretly has a crush on and who returns her ardor, Parminder (or Pam, as she yells at everybody to call her), the latest NRI entry in the college, who threatens Jiya that she will grab all of Dhruv’s attention; and Meeta, her starry-eyed and romantic best friend. Pam is also the niece of Shanti Saberwal – the classic neighbour – who is convinced that everything is not normal with the Malhotra household and who always goes there to ask for something or the other. The Malhotra home with three fairies who use or should we say misuse their magic nearly always ending up in trouble. Suraj, who learnt on his wedding day that his not only his wife, but even his mother-in-law is a fairy, has to deal with his mother-in-law who insists that her daughter and grand daughter practice magic. Pranks, mishaps, turning people into vegetables, fruits, spoons, animals, etc and tons of ‘Shring Bring Sarwaling’ – the chant you must utter to perform magic – make Shararat a truly magical, ‘Shararati-bhari’, for-all-ages comedy.
    [edit] Cas

    Reply
  12. Yancey Grantham says:
    September 28, 2007 at 1:06 pm

    I have an application for those wanting to write their memoirs. It’s free. I ask you questions to find the stories in you. It’s called My Life and is an application for the Facebook platform (also free). Aquanda.com

    Reply
  13. lisa fellows says:
    May 23, 2007 at 6:49 am

    please send me information on how someone could write a book on my behalf as i tell the story.well its my fiance who has a amazing life story to tell and we looking for someone to write it for us.

    Reply
  14. Rose DesRochers says:
    March 28, 2006 at 6:09 pm

    What a resourceful website. I’ll be adding your link not only to my blog, but to todays-woman.net.

    Reply

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