Use Time Wisely to Write Your Memoir
My guess is you do have the time.
Wanting to write a meaningful memoir is a start, but it is not enough. You must know how to write such a story.
On the Third Thursday of every month (at 1 PM/ET, 12 CT, 11 MT, 10 PT), you can participate in a live memoir-writing workshop on ZOOM. As I write this, the next Gathering is this Thursday, June 19, 2025.
While this call is for my Substack paid members, you can easily join our ranks and benefit from the workshop group’s support by clicking on the icon below. I consider the in-person exchange to be the gold currency of my Substack. Don’t miss out.
Here, I share two ideas about how to use time wisely to write your memoir. Time has many permutations and I would like to take you on a coaching journey. We’ll make a couple of stops to help you hone your ability to use time wisely. I hope you enjoy reading these ideas and let them inform your writing.
1. My first stop is with clock time and how we relate to that. Writing requires a commitment of time.
Have you wondered what distinguishes one writer who perseveres and completes a memoir from one who does not? I have worked with many writers and, of course, know that there are many different reasons for a memoir not being completed, but there is one that comes back again and again.
Writing requires a commitment of time. Successful writers find the time to write while unsuccessful ones often do not.
Most memoir writers are older people who generally do not have young children to care for. Kids are a gift in one’s life but they do drain one’s time. (Been there; done that!) So young kids are usually not the challenge to older writers.
A more probable challenge is the demand on one’s time from a spouse who is ill, but this plagues only a small number of writers. Then, too, it is possible to find help to have one’s time released to write.
We all find the time to do those things we really love to do. We just mask not caring enough about writing as “have to do” as in “I wanted to write but I had to do…” The activity following “had to do…” is probably something we love to do more than writing—or at least find less difficult.
Successful writers make sure that time is blocked off to write and do no play the “I don’t have time to…” game.
After you learn specific time management for writers, you’ll have enough time for your memoir. Really! Writer’s Time: Management that Works shows you how you can access “enough time” to finish your life’s story.
2. My next stop in this exploration of how to use time wisely to write your memoir is how to invest it to acquire the skill set necessary to complete a memoir.
Unsuccessful writers often lack the skills to write a memoir. Writing a memoir is a challenging undertaking. While writing skills can be acquired over time, they are not acquired by osmosis. Acquiring skills calls for study, for feedback on your writing, for time to let the manuscript rest before being picked up again.