5 Reasons Why You Need to Write a Memoir

It's not a luxury, it's a necessity.

Your Story Matters

So many of us have this idea that memoirs are for celebrities or historical figures or simply, “more interesting people who have something to say.” Well the reality is, we all have something to say. Each of us have something of value to add to the collective consciousness of the world. No one on this planet shares our exact DNA, our exact experience, nor our exact perspective. We are each unique and each of these elements create our voice and shape our story. So of course your story matters. You don’t have to be famous to have a valuable story. You don’t have to be the child of military parents who had you living all over the world. You don’t have to have the highest IQ in your small town. You don’t have to have an extraordinary story to have a meaningful one. There is both power and beauty in the simple story.

Healing

What many of us don’t realize is that a memoir is about not only what you can share with the world but also, and perhaps even more so, about what you can share with yourself. The process of writing your memoir invites you to revisit your history. This in turn leads to deep reflection that causes you to remember things you may have forgotten or buried deep inside. This reflection allows you to consider how perhaps the lack of successful marriages you witnessed in your childhood continues to shape your pessimistic perception of love and marriage well into your adulthood. Or how the lack of boundaries your mom had in her relationships influenced you to do the complete opposite in yours, which resulted in you having too many boundaries and a million walls up. It allows you to understand the root and foundation of who and how you are.

The process of remembering and piecing your life’s story together for the purpose of writing a book is a necessary healing experience. We often find ourselves going through the hustle and bustle of life. Months and years go by and the next thing you know, fifteen years have passed. Something traumatic or deeply painful happens and instead of allowing ourselves to experience the fullness of our emotions, we get up and move on because “life goes on.” Well yes, life does go on and we move forward. But before we move and sometimes, as we move, we must sit. I do not mean literally (occasionally yes, if time and circumstance permit), but spiritually. You must spiritually sit with the depth of your experiences – the good, bad, and ugly – to better equip yourself to move forward in life rooted in your healing and your truth. This is what writing your memoir allows.

Leaving a Legacy

When I was in college at Agnes Scott, the incomparable Alice Walker visited my school for a program she was being featured in. During this program she mentioned that in a few years, a book of her journal entries from over 50 years of her life was going to be published. That book came out in April 2022 and it is called Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker. How amazing is it for her readers, the world, her family, her children and their children to be able to read stories from over 50 years of her life?! Alice Walker left a tangible gift that will live far beyond her. Of course she has her novels, which we love, but a collection of her personal journal entries allows readers to dive into the depth of who Alice Walker was and is.

Your story is just as important. When you write and publish a memoir you leave a tangible legacy that your community and loved ones can cherish for many years to come.

Passive Income

The cool thing about publishing a book is that it opens up another revenue stream. We all know the benefit of having multiple streams of income. The only difference is that now, what used to simply be a good idea is now a must. The Covid Pandemic and shut down taught us many things, one of which is that we cannot rely on one source of income. It is necessary to have multiple ways to make money and at least one of those ways need to be something you have control over, i.e. your book sales. When you publish with Silver Bangles your memoir will be distributed to over 40,000 retailers and libraries including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, schools, and universities. So every time someone buys a copy of your book, you get the money. On top of that, the more you market and promote your memoir, the more exposure you gain and therefore the more sales you can make. It’s truly a win win!

Improved Writing Skills

Writing your memoir can take anywhere from 6 – 9 months. Once your manuscript is written, it will go through two rounds of editing. Our editors complete full developmental, line, and copy editing. They also provide manuscript feedback. The Editing process allows you to identify more effective grammar and sentence structure choices that will strengthen the read and flow of your memoir and in turn improve your own writing skills. If you purchase the All in One Package deal, I will work with you directly to develop and enhance your manuscript. We will meet for 45mins – 1hr once a month discussing everything from details and experiences to include in a chapter to what adjectives and quotes can better immerse the reader into your story. By the time your manuscript is ready for publication, you will feel more confident not only as a writer but also as a communicator.