Are you determined to share your story with the world? Modern readers crave raw, honest, authentic memoirs that don’t gloss over the hard times or the gory details. Most crucially, they want to delve into the lives of interesting people with unique takes on the world.
Of course, it so happens that the same people who have the most compelling stories to tell are also often woefully short on time. They are, after all, still busy living their fascinating lives and adding to their narratives. While these people gather more fodder to fill up more memoirs, they usually simply don’t have time to write their stories.
Are you one of them?
You could try your hand at a six-word memoir. Inspired by Ernest Hemingway, this clever format invites you to summarize your entire life in just six words. “For sale: Baby shoes, never worn,” the original went.
We can all agree that that’s poetic enough to get lost in for a good while, but this ultra-brief format isn’t what you’re going for. Don’t worry; you still have options.
Hire a Ghostwriter to Work on Your Memoir
Hiring a memoir ghostwriter doesn’t just save you a lot of time. It also allows most people to share their narratives more artfully than they ever could if they were writing their memoirs solo.
Are you a writer? OK, we’ll give it to you — you probably shouldn’t work with a ghostwriter. However, you are more likely to be a successful CEO, a failed plumber who survived living in his car, or a second-generation Holocaust survivor reflecting on the way your parents’ trauma impacted you and your children, to name just a few examples.
In all these cases and more, you built your life around things other than writing. You may not just lack the time to write your memoir but also the experience.
A talented ghostwriter can bring your story to life. The ghost-author relationship is an intimate collaboration — your ghost won’t just run with the bare bones and write whatever they please. They’ll extensively interview you and other important people in your life, and conduct in-depth background research under your guidance.
Unless you’re a professional writer, chances are that a ghostwriter can tell your story better than you can — and in a voice that authentically feels like yours. Working with a memoir ghostwriter does require your time and input, but the fact that your ghost takes care of the nitty-gritty is sure to give you the space you need to keep working.
Remember that working with a ghostwriter in no way means you lose control over your narrative. A memoir ghostwriter works for you. As the author, the person in whose name the memoir will be published, you remain in charge. Ghostwriters continuously ask for feedback. Telling your story the way you would have, and doing it justice, is a ghostwriter’s passion. If you pick the right ghostwriter, your voice will shine through every sentence. You’ll be shocked you didn’t write every word you read.
2. Don’t Have Time to Write Your Memoir? Make Time
Are you determined to share your life story, or at least the tale of a particularly critical phase of your life, in the form of a memoir? Think of your memoir as a legacy to leave to future generations — within your own family and beyond.
Is your story important enough to tell? You can make time, whether you steal 30 minutes away from your breakfast routine every day or give up weekend leisure time to tell your truth.
Some people may prefer to wait until retirement, when they can devote time to their memoir. If, on the other hand, you are hoping to inspire people or set the record straight as soon as possible, you won’t have time to lose. In this case, using a recorder to make notes can help you save time, and you could ask someone else to type your story out. This method also helps if you’re working with a ghostwriter.
If you’re intimidated by the thought of writing, you could start with smaller exercises like the New York Times’ tiny memoir contest, which asks you to write a true story in just 100 words. Build up from there. You can do it.
Once you make significant inroads, don’t forget to look for a competent book editor to help you polish that memoir. Even if you’re a naturally gifted writer, your memoir is bound to be filled with typos, plot holes you didn’t consider because you lived your story, and structural problems. A book editor can whip your memoir into shape!
3. Writing a Memoir if You Don’t Have Time: The Bottom Line
Writing a memoir is, by definition, a painful process. These non-fictional narratives should, to the best of your ability, be factually correct — but, unlike traditional autobiographies, they offer an intimate look not just at what happened but also at how you felt and feel about it.
Some memoir writers discover that the words hidden inside them sprout wings and fly onto the page as soon as they start writing. Writing a memoir doesn’t have to take long if you have a lot to say. You will, however, need an editor to make sure your memoir does your story justice.
Others determined to write their memoirs genuinely can’t find the time, or need a little extra help. Ghostwriters can come to the rescue in these cases. Experienced ghostwriters masterfully work with you to commit your unique experiences to paper in a way that sounds just like you.
Working with a ghost is about more than saving time — it can be the best way to make your story heard.