For most emerging writers, enrolling in a distance learning program is an exciting experience. At long last, for a period of time that is long enough to make a difference, you give yourself the opportunity to immerse yourself in learning the “best practices” of the writing craft that you have been so wanting to learn.

An adult-learning program which will help you to master writing might be a university course, a local workshop, a one-on-one relationship with a mentor, or a tele-course over internet video-conferencing.

Like many, perhaps most, adult learners, with responsibilities that often include a family, a job, a home, you are unable as might your adolescent counterpart to take time out—months, even years—to leave your life to devote yourself to mastering the craft of writing.

Can understanding the archetype of your experience refocus your memoir? An archetype is an inbred response to an outside stimulus, an unconscious disposition. Tom works hard and has great starts, but at some point, his efforts come to nothing. “What’s the matter with me?” he asks. Tom seems to be laboring under the archetype of Sisyphus, a man who is punished by having his efforts eternally undone. What has Randy done to anger the gods (often known as Mom and Dad) to have earned being punished for his efforts? How can Tom gain control of his life? Let’s look deeply (more…)

Your Attention Please Beginning next week, I will migrate my newsletter [The Lifewriter’ Digest] and these bi-monthly Memoir Network posts to the Substack platform. There are many reasons for doing so, one being the cost of a monthly MailChimp subscription and another being the time to produce posts or newsletters on two platforms. (You are receiving this post via WordPress, and the newsletter you received last week was via MailChimp. I have also been posting on Substack.) This is the first of two announcements that I am sending out to alert you that your subscription will be transferred to Substack (more…)

An unexpected definition of success as a writer.

Too many writers either have unrealistic definitions of success as a writer or no definition at all.

In this post, which will be one of many exploring success, I write about an unexpected definition of success as a writer—but a success nonetheless.

A follow-through with a writing student

I led a local memoir-writing group for many years beginning in 2000. One of the participants, who was with me for perhaps four years, was writing a memoir about a serious illness.

Writing about the disease necessitated revealing some personal material. She was willing to share within the group, given our pledge to confidentiality, but she was uncertain about whether she could share this material with “the world”—however big or small the readership might be, it remained “the world.”

Her reticence was not unreasonable as readers would likely be judging not only the literary quality of the book she was considering publishing but readers would assess the very sensibility of the persons behind the story—herself and her family.

While we like to believe that this is not the case, it inevitably is.

A long time passes

It has been many years since this woman and I met every other week in a group to write memoir. In that time since we worked together, I have seen her on and off at community events. As most of us do when meeting somebody that we don’t meet frequently, we resort to topics that are familiar and accessible. For me, when I meet a former workshopper, this is usually something like, “How is your memoir coming along?”

For a number of those years when we met by happenstance, she was evidently continuing to be involved with her memoir. When I’d meet her, she would tell me about progress that she had made—perhaps telling me she was feeling more confident about revealing personal material, perhaps pleased she was increasing the level of detail in her work. But there were other times when we met that she would say to me, “Oh, I have been busy doing this and that and I have put off writing for now.” But, even so, I retained a sense that she was committed to the story and would get back to writing it.

Writing a memoir always involves a very personal timetable. Some people sit down and write a memoir in a short time—sometimes as brief as six months. But other people need a much longer time to digest their material. They need to linger, to ponder, to somehow make sense of a theme or a voice that is eluding them.

Meeting my writing student again

Recently, when I attended a dance concert, I once again came face-to-face with my writer friend. Inevitably, we exchanged some warm-up pleasantries, and then I asked her how her memoir was coming along. I always liked her writing and thought it to be clear, intelligent and meaningful. I felt that her memoir would make a significant book that others would be interested in reading.

This time, rather than speak to me about the progress or the hold that was characterizing her memoir, she remained somewhat speechless, embarrassed.

“Have you come to an end in your writing?” I asked.

Again, it seemed that she was embarrassed and did not want to admit that she had perhaps abandoned her memoir.

Formulating an unexpected definition of success as a writer

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Success is built on daily writing habits. As has been bandied about and attributed to many different speakers and writers, it is said that “you go to the office every day for 20 years, and before you know it, you are an overnight success.” Well, we can apply that bit of humor as an insight into writing your memoir. Write every day for a year or two or three, and, before you know it, you have a book—you, too, are an “overnight success.” “How did you find the time?” you are asked. (The implication may be that you are not (more…)

Four Steps to Assuming Your Writing Authority

To those who struggle with whether they should write or continue to write a memoir, let me be clear: no one can give you the writing authority to record your story, to tell the truth about your life. You are the only person who can do that (Of course, others can help you along the way, but in the end, the leap is always up to you.)

Here are a few steps to take along the way to accessing writing authority in telling your story.

1. Give yourself permission to write your story.

Tell yourself: You have the right to tell your story regardless of what others may think, of how they might object. This is different from assuring yourself that you have the ability and the skills to write your story. This is about permission to go public, about going beyond “I couldn’t possibly have the authority to write that!” (You can even interpret “public” as the public of only one person—you.)

2. Use your voice, your point of view.

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No one said it would be easy to do the work of writing a memoir!

“Writing is hard,” you realize again as you look at your production for the day. “Perhaps I’m not cut out for this work of writing a memoir.”

To your dismay, you have been writing in snippets for many days now. In the mornings, when you show up at your laptop—later and later it seems—you must face, as does every writer, a demanding master: your daily writing. Why can’t writing be more fun? Why can’t it be—well, to tell the truth—less hard?

Oh, how you wish it were the end of your scheduled writing period for the day! Why did you think you could do this book-writing thing!

“Whom am I kidding?” (more…)

Resolutions can be tricky—just an exercise in fooling yourself! But they can also be a dynamic trigger. In this post, I will share a writing resolution that paid off big for me.

If you have not decided on New Year’s resolutions for your writing, it is a good time to choose priorities for the next year.

It is not my competence to speak to you about economic or weight-loss resolutions. But, I do have some track record as a writing coach, and I would like to suggest writing resolutions that might be very productive for you in the coming year as a writer —you are a writer (or an aspiring writer), after all, as evidenced by your reading of this blog.

How this post is organized

First, I will provide you with an example from my own life and then I will move on to offering you a few ideas about how you might structure a writing resolution for the coming year.

2025 for me

In 2025, I had a partially finished manuscript—actually, it might have been 90% finished—but I had put off publishing it. I kept telling myself that there was too much work left and I probably didn’t have enough time to polish the text as I wanted to. When I examined the manuscript, however, I realized how far along it was in being ready, and if I gave it a serious effort, I could publish in 2025. (more…)

At Christmas, it was a Franco custom to have an all-night party—a réveillon—after the midnight mass. The following excerpt is from my French Boy / A 1950s Franco-American Childhood. ___ For our first Christmas in our new home, my parents hosted a Christmas réveillon for both sides of the family. We children grew excited witnessing the preparations in the days prior to the réveillon when the tourtières, cookies, pies, and cakes were being baked. (“Just one cookie, but no more,” my mother must have repeated many times. “We have to save these for the réveillon.”) Because my grandparents were still (more…)

Having the right resources available when we need them can transform any task from a problem to an enticing challenge. I don’t know about you, but when I am trying something new—let’s say propagating a plant—that I’m not knowledgeable about, I head for either the internet or my bookshelves. The internet provides quick information and is sometimes a best resource, but I have also found that books often contain more detailed information and are easier to use. The same is true of hunting down memoir-writing resources. Our clients at The Memoir Network tend to be first-time and only-time writers. Usually, (more…)

Distance Learning: A Precious Opportunity

By Denis Ledoux

For most emerging writers, enrolling in an adult-learning program is an exciting experience. At long last, for a period of time that is long enough to make a difference, you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in learning the “best practices” of the writing craft that you has been so wanting to learn for a […]

Use an archetype of your experience to revive your memoir.

By Denis Ledoux

Can an archetype of your experience refocus your memoir? One begins a memoir with a sense of the uniqueness of the story. “It simply has to be told,” you realize excitedly. “The world needs to hear about this.” Then as you write week after week, month after month, and sometimes year after year, that uniqueness […]

Another sort of success for your memoir writing

By Denis Ledoux

What is your definition of success?

By Denis Ledoux

An unexpected definition of success as a writer. Too many writers either have unrealistic definitions of success as a writer or no definition at all. In this post, which will be one of many exploring success, I write about an unexpected definition of success as a writer—but a success nonetheless. A follow-through with a writing […]

Daily writing habits are important to a successful memoir.

Writing Your Memoir Regularly is Key to Success

By Denis Ledoux

Authority/Author: words with the same roots

By Denis Ledoux

Four Steps to Assuming Your Writing Authority To those who struggle with whether they should write or continue to write a memoir, let me be clear: no one can give you the writing authority to record your story, to tell the truth about your life. You are the only person who can do that (Of […]

The Work of Writing a Memoir Can Be Hard, But You Can Succeed!

By Denis Ledoux

No one said it would be easy to show up and do the work of writing a book! “This is hard,” you think as you look at your production. “perhaps I’m not cut out for this.” (more…)

A Firm Writing Resolution: You Will Not Regret Formulating One for 2026

By Denis Ledoux

Resolutions can be tricky—just an exercise in fooling yourself! But they can also be a dynamic trigger. In this post, I will share a writing resolution that paid off big for me. If you have not decided on New Year’s resolutions for your writing, it is a good time to choose priorities for the […]