If you’re looking for memoir writing tips that fit a busy life, start writing a blog. When I wrote my first book, I got stuck because I was writing articles. When I changed my self-talk to focus on writing blog posts, I wrote more each day than I planned! There’s something exciting about writing an article or blog post and publishing it to the world. As a prospective author, it also helps you build your audience before you’ve written your book.
Select a theme for the blog with the idea that each post may become part of a chapter in your memoir. You don’t need your whole story figured out first. You need one scene, one reader, and a place to start.
Key Takeaways
- Write for one reader. Knowing who needs your story turns personal posts into purposeful ones.
- Blog one scene at a time. Short, focused posts are easier to write and easier to shape into chapters later.
- Track your themes as you go. The ideas that keep showing up across your posts become the outline of your memoir.
Why Blogging Works for Memoir Writers
When you blog while you write, you build an audience before your book is finished. The people who follow your blog already know your voice and trust your stories. By the time your book launches, they’re the first to buy, the first to review, and the first to tell a friend.
Blogging also shows you what your memoir is about. Reader response is honest feedback. The posts that get shared, commented on, and returned to tell you which stories belong in the manuscript. You find out what lands before you commit to a 60,000-word draft.
Finally, you own your website in a way you’ll never own a social media account. Your posts stay searchable, and they keep working for you long after you hit publish.
Start With the Reader Who Needs Your Story
Before you write a single post, ask yourself one question: who am I writing this for?
EVERYONE is not your ideal reader. Think about the person who needs your story most. Are you writing for entrepreneurs who have navigated business failure? Caregivers in the middle of what you’ve already survived? Women in midlife, questioning everything? Professionals living with a chronic illness who need to know they aren’t alone?
Unlike an autobiography that covers an entire life, a memoir focuses on specific themes and turning points. When you know your reader, your posts stop being journal entries and start being generous, purposeful writing. Your reader gets a story that says, I have been where you are.
Here is where I want you to start:
- Why do you want to write your memoir?
- Who do you want to be inspired, moved, or changed by your story?
- What do you want that reader to feel when they finish a post?
Think about that person as you write or when you take a break and go for a walk, like I often do. Come back and write for them. Write for yourself, too.
Memoir Writing Tips for Bloggers
Once you know your why and your reader, it’s time to write. Blogging for writers works best when each post has a clear, small job. These memoir writing tips keep it that way.
Write One Scene Per Post
A focused 500 to 800-word post about one moment beats a sprawling post that tries to cover everything. Write the scene, the moment, or the lesson you know today. Post it. Let it breathe.
Use a Prompt and a Timer
If you’re staring at the blank page, pick a prompt, set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes, and write without stopping to edit. The goal isn’t a polished post. The goal is words on the page that you can shape later. Try one of these:
- Where does your story begin? Not the official version. The honest version.
- Who shaped you, whether they meant to or not?
- What did you once believe that you no longer believe?
For more ideas, try these 12 Writing Prompts to Get You Started on Your Nonfiction Book Writing Journey.
Keep a Running Theme List
After each post, jot down its central theme in one line. The same relationship might show up in several posts, or the same season of life might thread through different stories. Those repeats are the early outline of your memoir.
Write on a Schedule That Fits Your Life
A flexible writing schedule built around your real life creates more momentum than a rigid routine you abandon by week 2. Once a week is a strong goal. Twice a month is good enough. I share what worked for me in My Journey to a Flexible Writing Schedule.
From Posts to Pages: Blog With Your Book in Mind
Every post you publish can be raw material for your memoir. That’s the mindset shift that changes everything.
Your blog isn’t your book yet. It’s the foundation. When you read back through your posts with your theme list beside you, sections and chapters start to take shape. Some posts will need a deeper scene. Others will need a bridge to the next story. A few won’t make the book at all, and that’s fine.
If you’ve been blogging for a while, you may be closer to a book than you think, and From Posts to Pages is built to help you see it. For the step-by-step method, read How to Turn Your Blog Into a Book.
The deeper story lives in conversations. As your book coach, I ask the questions that pull out what a post is about at its core. As your ghostwriter, I turn your posts and our conversations into chapters that sound like you.
Ready to Turn Your Blog Posts into a Memoir?
Your stories are more developed than you realize. If you have a collection of posts, you already have a head start on your manuscript. If you’re new to blogging, one scene this week is enough.
There’s no wrong place to begin. Write what you know today, and let the shape of the book come later.
Not sure where your story is headed? Start with Your Book on One Page, a free guide that condenses your book idea onto a single page. When you’re ready to talk through your posts and your plan, schedule a free consultation.
Everyone has a story. Yours just needs to be told.
Related Links
- Write Your Book Out of Order: A Book Writing Process That Fits Real Life
- Your Book Might Already Be Written: Turn Existing Content into a Book
- Blogging Tips for the Non-Writer
- Quick Guide to Guest Blogging
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I write about first on a memoir blog?
Start with the moment that still has heat in it when you think about it. Not the most important event in your life. The one you can still feel. That emotional charge keeps readers reading, and the other stories will follow.
How often should I post on a memoir blog?
Once a week is a strong goal if you can keep it up. If you can’t, once or twice a month is good enough. A pace you can sustain for months beats a pace you abandon after 2 weeks.
Do my blog posts have to be long?
No. A focused 500 to 800-word post that covers one scene or moment works better than a long post that tries to cover everything. Shorter posts are easier to write, easier to read, and easier to turn into chapters later.
Can my blog posts become a memoir?
Yes. Posts written with a book in mind give you tested stories and a clear sense of your themes. The work is grouping them, filling the gaps, and revising them so they read as one book.
When should I hire a book coach or ghostwriter?
Hire a book coach when you have ideas but need help organizing them, staying accountable, or working through the process. Hire a ghostwriter when you have the stories but not the time or inclination to write the manuscript yourself. Both start with conversations, and both help you finish.
