Pre-Writing is necessary. – The Memoir Network | RSS

You don’t have to remember your lifestory alone.

Denis Ledoux — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 06:45:00 +0000

Since our lives are usually lived in community and our lifestories have evolved with other people in tow, take advantage of this symbiosis to write the best memoir you are capable of by accessing a collective memory of your life’s events. Today, you will organize a lifestory party. (more…)

Monday Focus: Pre-writing is more important than you think.

Denis Ledoux — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:30:54 +0000

Pre-writing is the process of gathering and ordering information before you begin to write. Here’s where to start. (more…)

Should You Create an Outline or a Memory List for your Memoir?

Denis Ledoux — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 14:00:00 +0000

I do not write a memoir from an outline. Instead I create a Memory List as outlined in Chapter 2 of Turning Memories Into Memoirs. The Memory List helps you to follow the promptings of the unconscious rather than the dictates of the conscious mind as is the case with an outline. (An outline is […]

Memoir Interviewing: how to prepare for one and carry it off!

The Memoir Network Staff — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 09:59:24 +0000

Memoir interviewing is an integral piece of research. Although you may assume you can depend on your memory when you write your lifestories—memory isn’t always as reliable as you want it to be. Interviews with relevant family members and friends can supplement your memory and broaden the perspective of your memoir. Below are some notes […]

You Need Formal Research

Denis Ledoux — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 10:00:30 +0000

Interviewing family members and friends is clearly a form of research, but interviews alone are usually not enough to give your stories the depth they require. For that, you need formal research. (more…)

Use This Instead of a Writing Prompt

Denis Ledoux — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 10:00:46 +0000

A writing prompt in my estimation leads to nothing. I’m not a great fan of a writing prompt. Sure, they get you to writing something. And many people will insist writing something is better than writing nothing. Well, I’m not so sure of that. (more…)

5 Steps to Gathering Stories at Family Events

Denis Ledoux — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 10:00:03 +0000

Gathering stories at family events—interviewing—is one of these basic steps you can master for writing your memoir. Following these basic steps, anyone can succeed at writing interesting and meaningful memoirs. People love to tell their stories… (more…)

6 Easy Steps to Creating a Book of Memoirs

Denis Ledoux — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 10:00:58 +0000

Celebrating and honoring your life by remembering and writing both big and small stories is very rewarding. It is a significant way to understand your life and to come to peace with it. Your memoirs are a legacy your family will treasure for generations–don’t you wish your grandparents had written their memoirs? Follow these simple […]

Three Tips for Effective Memoir Pre-Writing

Denis Ledoux — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 10:00:02 +0000

Before you begin to write your memoir, there are a number of non-writing tasks which you must undertake—this phase of compiling your lifestory is called memoir pre-writing, and it is essential to writing better stories. Pre-writing can include… (more…)

(More) Better than Prompts: Five Tips to Help You “Jog Your Memory”

Denis Ledoux — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 10:00:17 +0000

When starting on a memoir, it can be difficult to remember all the stories and memories you would like to include. You naturally want to jog your memory. When you are intent on writing “from the inside out” as we at The Memoir Network hope you will, there are some useful techniques you can use—to […]