A big part of being successful at memoir writing is showing up and doing the work. To succeed you have to do the writing; you have to exercise writing discipline, some “nose to the grindstone.”
Now the writing process is neither straightforward nor linear, and there are many unexpected twists and turns to the process. In fact, in the blog posts below on writing discipline, you will even find one on taking time out—which doesn’t seem very much like discipline. But when you go to the post you will see that it does lead to more discipline—now that’s a twist and turn!
People get it that they need to show up for paid employment as scheduled, but so many writers don’t get “showing up” very clearly and insist on writing when they feel like it. (“I don’t want to force my writing!” etc.) The fact is that big parts of writing can be compared to yeomen’s work and not too many people feel like doing “pick and shovel work!” No, this sort of work is best scheduled—or else it will be always put off.
Turn inspiration on.
Inspiration is an on-again-and-off-again experience. What I have found is that inspiration can be turned on with scheduling regularity. Just as going to the gym at regular times can get you motivated as exercise time approaches, so too writing at fixed times can get the juices going. And if it doesn’t?
You will have a period of time set aside anyway to produce your memoir.
In Conclusion
There are many factors that will contribute to your success as a memoir writer, and discipline in writing your memoir is one of them.
The posts below will provide some insight into what you might do to let discipline help you succeed.
Good luck as you write your memoir.
Writing Your Memoir One Story at a Time—It Adds Up
Memoir writing does not have to be an intimidating task. Envisioning your autobiography as a series of stories makes the sizable task of writing the stories of a lifetime tolerable and ultimately enjoyable. Lifestories, written singly just as they are told, one by one, add up to a memoir. (more…)
Writing When You Don’t Feel Like Writing
What to do when you don’t feel like writing? Writing a memoir is not easy. As I have written so many times—no one has ever promised it would be. Au contraire… Memoir writing can be difficult. Among the biggest of the difficulties is discouragement. How easy is it to write when you don’t feel like […]
Show Up and Do the Writing!
Show Up and Do the Writing! That’s how you get your memoir finished. Inch by inch it’s a cinch: yard by yard, it’s hard. (more…)
Commitment to writing vs. Interest in writing
There’s a big difference between your commitment to writing your memoir and being interested. “But I do want to write my memoir,” I can hear some hypothetical person insisting. No, this is not about wanting to write a memoir, not about trying to write one, not about being interested in writing… What I am writing […]
Save your Writing Energy: Don’t Give Your Memoir Gold Away
People everywhere have an urge to make their stories public—in any format that will satisfy the impulse. Because in human development, speech comes first and writing later, the impulse to make a story public is almost certainly to speak it initially and only subsequently to write it. But this can be dangerous for chanelling your […]
Writer’s Block Is Often Caused by Lack of Discipline
Some people successfully use the notion of writer’s block to convince friends and family that, while they’re real writers, they just happen not to be producing–but a person can do this only for a while. Remember: you can never successfully use writer’s block to get your stories written! (more…)
Don’t Talk Your Stories Away
When a writer talks too much and too revealingly about a work-in-progress–especially at the early stage before the writing has taken shape–the energy to get the story written is often scattered. Sometimes what passes for a writer’s block is… (more…)