“I don’t have much of a sense that I’m on the way to finishing my memoir,” you lament, “other than to just stop writing.”
This category addresses how you can bring your memoir to a close so that it is both complete and satisfying.
This is not, of course, a question you ask yourself as you begin your memoir, but there comes a time in the process when it becomes obvious to you that you have written your story and it’s now time to wrap it up.
A process of open and close
On this blog, there are many posts that advocate lingering with your writing and with taking the time it takes. The process of writing is usually not best done when it is rushed. Keep your writing options open. The advice to linger is good because too many memoirs are ruined by a “rush job.” But…
The opposite of lingering is also true. You must focus on finishing your memoir—or else you can continue to write for years to come. Writing is great and you must respect the process, but you also need to move on to your next memoir—or to the rest of your life—at some point. You have to bring the process to a close, write to the end and then publish your book.
In conclusion
The posts below both help you to assess when it is time to finish your memoir and also provides techniques for you to arrive at a satisfying conclusion.
If you are sincere about finishing your memoir, the posts below will suggest a number of “rules” to follow to expedite the matter.
Another memoir finished: what was the writing process?
Writers can doubt their process. This is understandable as writing a memoir is a long undertaking that can—and usually does—have many discouraging moments.
Monday Focus: “Commit to staying the course.”
Your commitment to writing your memoir must be ongoing. Today, I’m offering tactics to help sustain your motivation to finish your memoir.
Showing up for my memoir– again!
DL: This is a reprint of a post that appeared in September of 2022. It strikes me as pertinent for many readers of The Lifewriter’s Digest. The final publication of French Boy took another year. I republish this both to present a proven process and to own that I have my challenges, too. I’m not […]
Use Time Wisely to Write Your Memoir
Use time wisely to write your memoir. Writing is important and you have less time than you think you do.
When Writers Lose Interest, It Might Actually Be Healthy
It’s common for a writer to find that she has written much about a period of her life that is now uninteresting to her. Though she wrote with enthusiasm, intending to include this material in her memoir, it doesn’t seem to merit inclusion now. She may be despondent. “I worked so hard! Now I want […]
12 Reasons People Quit Writing a Memoir
Have you quit writing your memoir? Why? What would help you keep writing? Here’s a list of reasons why people quit writing a memoir.
Beginning the End Stage Before Publication
Last week, I realized I needed to acknowledge to myself that I was in the end stage before publication of writing my memoir. For one thing, I finally came up with a name—French Boy / Growing Up Franco-American—that I’m likely to keep. (So many titles in the trash!) This title reveals the content of the […]
How Long Does It Take to Write a Memoir?
Sometimes, years after I’ve heard from someone that he is writing a memoir, I will connect with the writer again. Perhaps it’s three or four or five years later, but the writer is working on the same memoir. I don’t get it. So I ask politely, “What has snagged the memoir?”
How to write the last chapter of a memoir
“How do I write the last chapter of a memoir?” coaching and editing clients will sometimes ask me.It is a good question because the last chapter of a memoir is your final shot at affirming your theme and at creating a satisfying and meaningful ending to the story the reader has been engaged in for […]