I have a well-oiled process for meeting new writers and assessing where they are in the writing process and what I can offer to help them. The wonder of this framework is that every time writers leave these free thirty-minute calls with more clarity, more validation, and more empowerment than they had when we first met.

If you’re like me, fiction writing isn’t really your thing. You like to write creative nonfiction. Memoir is more your deal (which makes sense, if you’re here!). But you like that creative camaraderie, that collective writing energy generated by thousands of writers coming together to share their stories.

The best part is you can harness that energy in your own writing right now, whether or not you write fiction. If you want to adapt NaNoWriMo to your own writing, follow these simple guidelines.

Raise your hand if you’ve convinced yourself at any point that your writing time is valid only if you can devote several hours at a time. (Same, friend. Same.)

Would you believe me if I told you that you’re much more likely to write your memoir if you start out with shorter writing sessions? Let me prove it to you.

As an editor I know two things: 1) You want to finish your manuscript and 2) You want personalized support. While I can’t draw up a personal editorial plan for each and every person reading this*, I can show you how to create your own plan to finish your memoir. The secret? Incorporate mindset with actual writing strategies.

This post will examine From the Ashes through the Memoir Method. As I guide writers through the memoir writing process, I’ve found it helpful to illustrate how these principles show up in published and successful memoir.