4 Bad Reasons to Write Memoir

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Wait, am I telling you NOT to write memoir? Well, at least not for these reasons. There are plenty of good reasons to write memoir, but here are some to avoid. Check your intentions and make sure none of these buggers are hiding there.

1. Revenge

Memoir isn’t for getting back at someone. Besides being mean, it could get you in legal trouble, too. True, some characters in your story might be “bad,” but if your primary purpose is to punish them, that will become the focus of the whole book, rather than your personal transformation.

2. Condemning

There’s a difference between highlighting a social injustice or sharing your opinion on an important topic, and outright condemning those who disagree with you. Know the difference, and you actual might make a difference, rather than just making people angry.

3. Complaining

No one likes a complainer. It’s true in conversation, and it’s true in books. The problem with complaining is that it doesn’t take a reader on a journey. We feel like we ended up in the same place we started. Show how your situation challenged you, and how you overcame. Leave the whining out of it.

4. Bragging

Hard to say what’s worse--a complainer or a bragger? Let’s just avoid both, shall we? The trick to avoid this is to SHOW, not TELL. Don’t tell us how brave/selfless/spiritual you are. Tell us your story, and we’ll see it for ourselves. Everyone loves a humble hero.

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