You’ve felt a tap on your shoulder. You know you can’t keep carrying your story anymore. You’re ready to write a book about your life, or as the publishing world calls it, a memoir.
But, as starting new projects often go, you might feel a bit of uncertainty creep in: a doubt that you just can’t shake. Or maybe you just aren’t sure exactly where to start. Trying to turn memories and life experiences into a story can be complicated—especially if you’ve never done it before.
Sometimes you just want something to help point you in the right direction. That’s where our Memoir Compass comes in. But, for it to point you in the right direction, you need to orient it.
Before you even start putting that pen to paper (because admit it, we’ve all felt ourselves stuck staring at a blank document for far too long), you need to clarify three critical anchors of your memoir—motivation, mission, and message. Once you’ve determined these three things, you’ll not only fear that page just a little bit less, but you’ll be able to understand what makes your memoir impactful, purposeful, and meaningful to you and your readers.
Find your Motivation
Reflect for a moment: why did you find yourself wanting to write your story?
It’s a tall question, but if you follow your trail backwards, you might find what’s fueling you. What excites you about writing your story? What are you hoping that telling your story will do for you?
The journey of writing a memoir is long, layered, and nuanced. You might find yourself trying to “weed” through your memories trying to figure out what matters. There will be nights when writing your memoir feels insurmountable. Yet, there’s a light at the end of the process. That’s your motivation.
It’s not enough to just want to do it for others: you need to do it for yourself, too.
Consider:
- When you felt the initial call to write your story, where did that stem from?
- What keeps motivating you to write, even when writer's block hits?
- If your book were available tomorrow, what would you want it to do for you and your life?
Determine Your Mission
Imagine you’re sitting in a bookstore, watching someone read the back of your book. What are they like? What are their jobs? What have they gone through during life? What are their hardships, motivations, and goals? Picture them in your head, and then describe them on a piece of paper.
This is your who: the person you want to find your book. There are thousands of this person.
Now that you know who you want to find your book, what do you want your book to do for them? Do you want your reader to feel seen? Do you want to heal others through what you’ve learned? Or, maybe, you want to start a movement and bring awareness to something that relates to your story—an aspect of illness, grief, or mental health...
Consider what the purpose of the memoir is, who you want to find it, and what you want them to do after they’ve read it. You’ve considered the purpose of writing the memoir for yourself; now, determine what the purpose of the memoir is for your reader. That is your mission.
Consider:
- What impact do you want your book to have on your reader?
- What do you want them to do based on the information they’ve read?
- How will it inspire them to move forward?
Share Your Message
The message is the soul of your book. You’ve determined why you are writing, and who you are writing for: now, what exactly are you trying to say?
When you write a memoir, you are not just recalling events, but finding the underlying growth and meaning from them. There is a central theme that connects all of these pieces together, and it goes beyond the surface level of the events that happened.
The key to finding your message is through the Universal Experience.
Scenario: An author writes a book about the experience of losing a parent. A reader finds this book, but they didn’t lose a parent–maybe they lost someone else close to them, or maybe they know how it feels to be silenced and alone with those feelings. The Universal Experience that connects this author and this reader isn’t the loss of a parent, but the feeling of grief.
Consider the experiences and the feelings that resulted, and the wisdom you have gained from going through them. By moving past the initial ‘this is what happened’ and by delving into the hardships and growths, the part that makes everyone human lies beneath. This doesn’t guarantee that the message will resonate with everyone, but it’ll help find the people who will.
Consider:
- What insights and wisdom do you hope to pass down to your reader?
- What universal experiences do you find in your work?
- How do your memories connect? What is that common bridge?
You Don’t Have To Do This Alone
A common misconception about writing is that it is a solitary experience. However, it doesn’t have to be. It’s time to light up the world with your story.
Luckily, you’ve made it to The Write Place, (at the) Right Time.
Take this as an invitation to book a 60-minute Memoir Compass Calibration call with Ally, where you’ll dive deeper into the motivation, mission, and message of your memoir. Take the guesswork out of writing, so you can focus on clarity, authenticity, and writing your story right the first time.
This post was written by TWPRT’s Summer 2026 Intern, Cierra Rossi.
At the time of this writing, Cierra Rossi is an incoming fourth-year Professional Writing Major at Champlain College. Cierra grew up in Brookfield, Massachusetts, but she has since moved to Burlington, Vermont, where she is completing her bachelor's degree. When she’s not nose-deep in a book or writing her own prose, she loves theater, board games, and cooking new dishes for the people closest to her. She hopes that after graduating in 2027, she’ll be able to continue in the publishing industry, helping books find their people through marketing or by submitting her own writing.