Age takes to memory, it has been said, as youth takes to poetry. That is why seniors writing memoirs and lifestories is such a natural.
In this category [Seniors Writing Memoirs and Lifestories], how-to and motivational articles have been gathered to help first-time, and perhaps only-time, writers to generate more meaningful and interesting lifestories than they might on their own by “winging it.”
Seniors writing memoir is an excellent opportunity
Seniors have the benefit of experience—years of it. Experience backed by reflection is the stuff of memoir. If a function of memoir is to shed some light on the meaning of life, then seniors are in an excellent position. Seniors writing memoir can shed light on the meaning of life for younger readers.
Age has known youth, but youth has not known age.
You can learn to write better stories.
People just like you have written interesting and meaningful memoirs using methods and ideas outlined both below and throughout the Memoir Writer’s Blog.
Don’t forget to search the BLOG CATEGORIES to the right of the page for specific topics that interest you or promise to be of service to your memoir writing. There are hundreds of published articles here that cannot fail to help you write the best memoir you are capable of.
Please share this wealth with your friends and colleagues.
If you are someone working in senior education…
Seniors Writing Memoirs and Lifestories is also valuable to the professional seeking resources to work with older writers. In addition to these pages, as a professional, you will do well want to check out our specific resources to help memoir professionals succeed more quickly.
Remember: whatever you do today, write a bit on your memoir.
Writing Your First Draft: Every Memoir Starts That Way!
Writing Your First Draft Give yourself permission to write a rough first draft. Write pages and pages in which you describe the who, the what, the where and the when of the story. Later, as you rework the piece, the why will be written in. (more…)
Show and not Tell: Don’t Tell Us About Your Characters—Show Them Walking Across the Page!
How many times have you heard “Show your story rather than tell it!” And, how many times have you gone right on and did a lot of telling! I know I have. “Showing” is one technique that will always improve your writing. I admit that there is some great writing that makes a precedent for […]
How to Write a Significant Memoir
That our memoir is insignificant is about the last thing we memoir writers ever want to read about our magnum opus. How do we write a significant memoir? What separates a significant memoir from an insignificant one? I’ll give you a hint: it’s not fame it’s not the scope of the arena of the action. […]
How Long Should It Take to Write a Memoir? Set a Deadline!
Have you ever wondered, “How long should it take to write a memoir?” At The Memoir Network, we have come up with a timeline that is realistic for any writer who wishes to write a memoir that doesn’t get stuck in endless rewriting. (more…)
Memoir Versus Fiction, or Is Memoir Fiction?
Is memoir fiction? I emphatically don’t agree that memoir is fiction. Although a memoir invariably uses fiction techniques—and we will look at one in this post it must be an as-much-as-possible true accounting of an experience. (more…)
Don’t Wait: Continue to Write Your Memoir Today
What if you ran out of tomorrows before you had written your memoir? How would your children and grandchildren know about you and the people who were important to you? How would your community know? (more…)
How to Pick up Your Memoir Writing Again When You’ve Slacked Off
How do you pick up your memoir writing again? If you have stopped writing because of a holiday, a vacation, an illness, or lassitude (read: “It’s too hard! I want it to be easy!”), make now—today—the time to pick up your memoir writing again. (more…)
Writing About Family Stories You Don’t Agree With
How do you write about family stories whose interpretation you don’t agree with? We may all have family stories that we feel are wrongly told. When you distort your insights in order not to contradict other people’s take on your story—to “make nice,” your readers will sense that something is wrong. (more…)
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…)