Episode Details

My memoir, Accidental First Lady, turns five next month.

And I'll admit something: Sometimes I wonder whether my story has run its course.

Then I meet a reader who tells me the book stayed with her. Someone discovers it for the first time. Or a copy unexpectedly finds its way into another reader's hands.

And I'm reminded:

We don't get to decide how long our stories will matter—or who might need them.

In this episode of Making Memoir Magic, I'm looking back at nearly five years as a published memoirist and sharing five things I didn't know when I decided to write my story.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why you may never completely believe your story is “important enough”—and why that's okay
• Why comparing your life to someone else's can keep a meaningful story from ever being written
• How the deeper themes of your memoir can outlive the circumstances you're writing about
• Why readers may find meaning in your story that you never expected
• How to recognize the persistent story that keeps asking you to write it
• The question I think aspiring memoir writers should ask instead of, “Why haven't I written my memoir yet?”

FREE RESOURCE: What's keeping you from writing your memoir?

If you've been thinking about writing your story—or you've started and stopped more than once—I've created a free resource to help.

Why Most People Never Finish Their Memoir: A Quick Self-Assessment to Help You Get Unstuck will help you identify your biggest memoir roadblock and choose one small, practical step you can take to move forward.

👉 Download the free Memoir Magic Workpage

You don't need to know whether your story will become a published book.

You don't need to know who will eventually read it.

And you certainly don't need to decide whether your life is “important enough” for a memoir.

Start with the story that keeps tapping you on the shoulder.

Write one memory.

Then another.

Because your job isn't to decide whether your story matters to someone else.

Your job is to write it.

Let's stay connected

If this episode made you think of someone who's been saying, “Someday I'm going to write my story,” share it with them.

And if you're the one who's been saying “someday,” grab the free workpage above and take your first small step.

Until next time, keep writing.

Your story matters.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Making Memoir Magic. To learn more about my course, Make Memoir Magic, click here. 

Join my free Facebook Group, Memoir Magic for Aspiring Authors, where we honor your story, provide tips, create community, and help you write the story you were meant to tell. Join here!