Writing doesn’t always come naturally for memoir writers.

In fiction writing, many of those authors start the writing process because they've been long time avid readers and they have an actual interest in writing a book. It's only after they decide to write a book that they brainstorm the best story arc for their debut fantasy series.

In June, I placed a heavy focus on getting my memoir polished up before submitting it to an editor. For most of the month of July, it will be in her hands and out of mine! That's a scary place to be when you finally allow someone else to read your story and step into your shoes. She will be the first person to read the latest version of the manuscript in full and only the third person ever to read a full version of any draft.

For the writer that continues down the memoir writing journey and eventually chooses to publish her work, at some point her intention shifts from sorting out her past and understanding key moments in her life to thinking about the reader that will hold her story in their hands, feeling seen and motivated to make shifts in their own lives.

The core message is the most fundamental attribute of a memoir. It is the presence of a core message that distinguishes a memoir from an autobiography or even your stack of journals. Many times it often appears in the title or subtitle of the book...that's how essential it is.