You’re not writing your autobiography.
That’s because an autobiography is a chronological story of one’s entire life to date, and most of us who aren’t celebrities simply can’t sustain reader interest in that sort of thing.
What you *may* be writing – or thinking about writing – is a memoir.
Unlike an autobiography, a memoir is about a significant period in the author’s life: the year Elizabeth Gilbert traveled to Italy, India, and Indonesia, for example (Eat Pray Love); Jeannette Walls’ harrowing childhood (The Glass Castle); Tara Westover’s eye-opening time at Brigham Young University after being raised by survivalists (Educated).
Sometimes memoirs are chronologically told; sometimes they are told in both the present and in flashback. They may unfold like a story or like a collection of personal essays. Either way, they need a narrative structure – a plot. And a protagonist: you. Allies and enemies. Strengths and weaknesses.
Something needs to happen.
Memoir is a big, big category in publishing these days. Although it’s nonfiction, it is often judged by fiction standards: the quality of the writing can in some cases overcome publishing concerns about the size of your social media reach and platform.
Memoir is a wonderful tool to tell your truths out loud, teach others how to learn from your mistakes as well as your triumphs, and to connect to other humans – no matter how weird and alone we think we are, there are always many who share the same hopes, fears, dreams, and trauma. They want – even need – to hear from you.
Un-Settling Books is debuting new Writers Circles for memoirists only. We’ll be keeping it small because group teaching works better that way.
When it’s time to tell your story, you’ll know it because it simply won’t leave you alone. It will tap your shoulder in the shower, pop into your head as you’re drifting off to sleep, and whisper into your ear as you navigate rush hour traffic. You’ll see books somewhat like yours coming onto the market, and hear about friends who have started writing their memoirs.
There’s only one sure way to put a story to rest, and that’s to write it. We can help you figure out how.