3 Things a Memoir Is Not

If you've ever felt a pull to tell your story but stopped yourself because you weren’t sure you were “allowed” to write a memoir, this post is for you.

The memoir is a powerful, personal genre, but it’s often misunderstood. We get hung up on what it should be instead of letting it become what it truly is: a reflection of lived experience told with heart, perspective, and meaning.

So let’s clear the air. Here are three things a memoir is not.

1. A Memoir Is Not an Autobiography

Let’s start with the basics: a memoir is not your entire life story.

An autobiography aims to be comprehensive, covering a life from birth to present day, often told chronologically, and focused on facts and major events. A memoir, on the other hand, is selective. It centers on themes, emotional truths, and meaningful slices of your life.

You don’t need to include every detail or timeline. Instead, think of your memoir as a thread through one part of your life-maybe your relationship with your body, your experience of grief, a career pivot, or the journey of becoming a parent. A memoir zooms in. It reflects, it feels, it reveals.

2. A Memoir Is Not Just for Celebrities

You don’t have to be famous to write a memoir. You just need a story; and trust me, you have one.

There’s a misconception that memoir is reserved for the rich, the well-known, or the remarkable. But ordinary lives hold extraordinary meaning. Readers aren’t looking for perfection or prestige. They’re looking for resonance. A glimpse into someone else’s truth that helps them better understand their own.

If you’ve survived, transformed, healed, questioned, loved, lost, or begun again… you have memoir material.

3. A Memoir Is Not an Impossible Goal

Writing a memoir can feel like standing at the base of a mountain with no clear path up. But here’s the truth: you don’t have to write it all at once.

Start small. Write scenes, memories, moments that stick. Follow the emotional breadcrumbs. Allow your story to reveal itself, one page at a time. Writing a memoir isn’t about having it all figured out, it’s about being willing to explore and make meaning from your lived experience.

And you don’t have to do it alone. Tools like my Sacred Threads Memoir Writing Kit and Memoir Story Arc Template are designed to help you take those first steps with structure, support, and soul.

You don’t need permission to write your story.

You just need a willingness to begin.

If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment, share your thoughts, or explore some of the tools I’ve created to help you on your memoir journey. You might start with a free 15 minute Clarity Call or book a Clarity Coaching Session.

Your story matters.

Let writing be your ritual,

Sharla