Memoir writing for beginners

Our world today moves increasingly fast, and sometimes feels like we’re on a never-ending treadmill of things to do: within the home, at work, for friends and family. As we strive to do and achieve more, sadly, we seem to talk and listen to one another less and less.

As a result, we miss out on discovering that our neighbour, friend or family member lived an exciting life. We don’t hear their stories of love and survival. We’ve no record of their achievements, their challenges or much-loved recipes. And so we lose our opportunity to learn from their life experiences, to benefit from their wisdom.

Our ancestors documented history by telling stories around the campfire. But we’ve allowed the art of sharing our stories to fade from our grasp. Even though we live in a technological age that makes it ever easier to write about our lives using computers.

Thankfully, memoir writing is becoming popular, with many now wanting to tell ‘their story’, and offer a meaningful gift for their children, grandchildren, neighbours and friends. And it’s important that we do share our personal version of the past, because every generation has a unique history to document and perspective to offer.

Once you’ve made the decision to write about your life, you might find that the process isn’t as easy as you imagined. Where to start your story can be difficult. Do you dive in at the beginning or the middle? And how to begin… staring at a blank piece of paper or screen can be daunting.

That’s where my Memoir for Beginners talk can help. During the session, I’ll guide you through those initial choices about what to write about. Then we’ll look at how and where to begin. We’ll also tackle the creative process and how to get it flowing.

So, if you’ve ever contemplated writing about your life and feel you’d benefit from help in getting started, why not join me at the Lechlade Library on Tuesday 24^th April from 10.30 to 12.30. To reserve your place call me on 07564 185161 or email me at mel@melmorton.com