You can find an abundance of advice targeted to help you “beat writer’s block,” but I don’t think that mindset will work. The trick to “beating” writer’s block is actually to surrender and move through it instead. Rather than thinking of writer’s block as your enemy, consider it a family member that you don’t like but have to put up with sometimes. Allow writer’s block to come and go, and meanwhile practice the right techniques to move through to the other side.

How many times have you told yourself, “Today's the day I'm going to write!” . . . And then you don't. Despite your best intentions, you never feel like you have the time to just sit down and write. Your time feels out of your control. When someone tells you to “make the time,” you kind of know what they mean but you don't know how to do it.

Unlike other trades and careers, many people see writing as a binary vocation: Either you’re a writer, or you aren’t. Or, if you aren’t a naturally skilled writer, then you’ll never be a real writer. Before we dive into thoroughly disproving that thought (because that line of thinking is categorically flawed), let’s first examine how that thought makes you feel. When you read the sentence, Real writers don’t need to practice or Writing comes easy or naturally to real writers, how do you feel? Me? I read those sentences and feel defeated before I even begin.

Being a writer starts in your head first, before you ever start putting words onto a page.

Whether you've just started thinking about your memoir or are sitting on part of a manuscript unsure of what to do with it, the Memoir Jumpstart Guide will revive your writing. Learn how to approach your manuscript as an editor would: find the story, organize the timeline, and make it come alive with narration. Bookmark this post, grab a notebook, and spend a few days working through these exercises.

I was researching what people Google about memoir writing, and I stumbled on the question, Can a memoir be about anything? The answer to this question is simple: yes, a memoir can be about anything. But knowing what stories from your life have the legs for a memoir is a different question altogether.