Memoir Writing
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Using AI for Memoirs
Can you use AI (such as ChatGPT) to help create your memoir? Certainly – but you should use it as little as possible. And I strongly believe that it should not be used for the actual writing. Using AI won’t prevent you from uploading and selling your book on Amazon. You’ll simply have to tick…
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How to Write a Memoir
This is a huge topic. Entire books are written on it (I have a shelf full of them, and many of them are great). I’m just going to offer a few things to think about as you begin the process. Writing a memoir is like assembling a puzzle. The pieces are the significant events, decisions,…
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The Biggest Challenge in Writing a Family Memoir
I recently gave a talk at the library in Claresholm, Alberta, about writing family memoirs. During the Q&A, a woman asked me a great question: “What’s the most challenging part of writing a family memoir?” I told her that, in my experience, the biggest challenge is usually deciding on a structure. Most family memoirs are…
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How Long Should My Memoir Be?
In response to a Facebook ad for my memoir services, a woman mentioned she was working on her second memoir. A guy responded, “Isn’t one enough?” I thought, “That isn’t nice, suggesting her efforts aren’t worthwhile.” But I decided to treat it as a serious question, not as a putdown. My response was, “An autobiography…
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Why Write a Memoir?
I recently received an online comment from someone criticizing the idea of writing memoirs, suggesting there’s no point for most people to write a memoir. It’s just about self-absorption, they said. What a strange thought. No one is forcing anyone to read a memoir. I admit that we live in a time where it seems…