How to Write a Memoir Breathe Life into Your Story in 8 Steps

How to Write a Memoir Breathe Life into Your Story in 8 Steps How to Write a Memoir: Breathe Life into Your Story in 8 Steps Learning how to write a memoir is like studying to be an archeologist. Not only do you have to dig deep and sift through the sands for fragments on the past, you then have to piece it all together and discover what the story is. To help you tell a compelling story based on your own life, we turned to bestselling ghostwriters on Reedsy to create our practical guide on how to write a memoir.  First, let's answer some of the big questions...What do traditional publishers look for in a memoir?In short, memoir publishers are looking for books with commercial appeal. If they don't think there's a strong market for your book, an editor will not likely take a change on you - regardless of your manuscript's quality. If a traditional book deal is something you have your heart set on, ask yourself the question: who does my book appeal to? Isolating a target readership will go a long way to convincing an agent or editor of your memoir's potential.Does your memoir belong to a specific category ?Before you start writing or even outlining your memoir, it’s important to figure out where your book fits within the existing market. Acclaimed ghostwriter Katy Weitz suggests researching titles from a number of popular categories to get an idea of the sheer variety of memoirs that have succeeded. Popular categories or genres includeNostalgia. Many people want books to transport them to another time and place and show them what life was like. Others enjoy recognizing their own experiences reflected back at them. Books that meet this requirement are often called nostalgia memoirs.Misery and Inspirational. Books that depict a difficult time in an author’s life aren’t intended to bum the reader out  - but to show triumph over adversity. The fact that the authors are writing a book about their experiences often serves as a redemptive final chapter in their personal story.Celebrity. Public figures have an inbuilt fanbase who just want to hear more about their adv entures doing the thing that they do. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of inventive celebrity memoirs.Sports. Sports stories often make for great books. After all, what's more dramatic than the thrill of victory or the crushing pain of defeat?Examples of successful memoirsTo give you an idea of the books that have sold well in each of those genres, here are just a few examplesNostalgia Memoirs While a book is often an opportunity to ‘tell your side of the story,’ don’t paint yourself as a complete hero or victim. Like any protagonist in a novel, it’s your strengths and weaknesses that will make you a compelling figure. Readers expect honesty and candor. If they sense that you’re stretching the truth or have an underlying agenda, they will quickly switch off.Mistake #2. Choosing a strictly linear narrative without considering the alternativesâ€Å"To help give order to the project, try to tell the story chronologically to start with,† says Andrew Crofts, the bestselling ghostwriter of over 80 books. â€Å"That way you can keep control of the narrative. If you jump about too much you will forget what you have already done and start repeating yourself. You can always change the chronology at the editing stage.†As Johnny Acton says, there are great reasons to chop-up the timeline:â€Å"A broadly chronological structure will make the book easier to follow but don't adhere to it too closely. Flashbacks and flash-forwards can be used to add interest.†Taking a cue from your favorite novels, you may find that playing with chronology helps to control the pace of your books and cut out ‘the boring bits’.For more advice, check out our guide to outlining a memoir.Mistake #3. Not getting an outside opinionAt some point, you might want to share a draft with a close friend or family member. Their feedback can be priceless, as they might remember events differently to how you've portrayed them in your book. Based on their reactions, you can choose to work in their suggestions or stick to your guns. However, it's also important that you get someone who doesn't know you to read your manuscript.â€Å"Always remember that the reader may not know what you take for granted,† says Johnny Acton. Beta readers who don’t know you that well can help you see when your stories need more background in formation (and when they’re not compelling or relevant enough).Professional editors are also an invaluable resource to tap into. On platforms like Reedsy, you can search for editors who have worked for major publishers on memoirs like yours. For those legacy project, a professional editor can help you focus in on the parts that matter; if you’re writing something with a commercial edge, they can make all the difference when it comes to selling your book.These are just a few tips that will help you get started. Along the way, you may encounter well-meaning and highly qualified people who will question why you think you should be writing a memoir. But if you have a story that you feel needs to be told, you shouldn’t let anyone stand in your way. Everybody has a story to tell: just make yours a good one, and the rest of us will come along for the ride.What are some of your favorite memoirs, written by both celebrities and non-celebrities? What about them makes them stand out in your memory?