Why should I write a memoir? No one will be interested anyway. Never think like that since there is a story in everyone. Everyone has something of interest to say and that includes you. You don't need to have had a massive life to write a memoir. Everyone has something that they would like to say and put the record straight and it will be a lasting legacy to those close to you even if they don't seem interested now, the time will come when they will be glad you did it.
I can't write to save my life! I thought the same when I wrote my autobiography. I thought I could spell and boy, did we have a laugh when we came to correct them all! For instance, I actually wrote the following sentence: " I was never very good at grammer". Note that the spelling should be grammar! All you need is a computer and even then, if you don't have one, write it all down and get someone to type it for you.
Where do I start? Fix firmly in your mind what you want to write about first. Something you want to say to others about your life or that you feel passionate about. Write down on paper a framework of incidents dates and places that you remember and use that as a guide. Do some research if you can on the subject. For instance, I sailed on several ships but did not know anything about them except their names so I looked them all up to find out where they were built, dimensions and tonnage etc.
It will all help to make you more confident of your subject.
I feel inadequate, people will laugh at my work. You will be surprised at what you can achieve. When you write, write for yourself and not others. Don't worry about how it sounds or if there are any mistakes in it at first, just get it all down. Don't try to edit your book as you go along because you will get disheartened and give up, leave it all untill later. That's the beauty of writing, you can keep coming back to it, adding, correcting and changing sentence structures.
Should I set myself a target? I would advise against this in trying to finish your book in "record time". All I did was to write when I felt like it, when I was in the mood. It took me a year to write my autobiography but I just plodded on and finished it in my own time. This way your writing is likely to be more natural and unforced, you will tend to include more humour and display more exuberance in your writing and this will come across to your readers. http://goo.gl/GjwUs
How do I edit my memoir? Try not to think about this until you finish your writing. You can get lots of help to do this and besides, that's the fun part. Remember, be honest, write for yourself and be yourself when you write. It's the best way to succeed.
