RSS FeedAt the National Association of Memoir Writers, we believe in the Power of Memoir Writing!
Writing a memoir is a powerful way to find your voice, tell your story and reach out to the larger world with who you are, what you know, and share the meaningful experiences of your life.
There are several layers to writing a memoir:
1. You need to mine your memories and discover the most meaningful stories—Turning Points that have shaped your life, the basic themes of your life, and a plot that drives your readers to the end of your book or story.
2. Writing a memoir means weaving craft and truth. This may mean confronting conflicting family beliefs, interpreting memories and events that were life changing, and finding a way to witness and offer testimony. Through your memoir you can share your unique experiences and knowledge and make a bridge with others.
3. It’s important to learn the skills of writing–dialogue, point of view, character development, grammar, tone, voice, and narrative line, plot, creating scenes, sensual details, and pacing.
4. Building platform through blogging, networking, and joining with others in your writing community.
5. Learning about publishing skills and techniques–writing a query letter, selecting an agent, choosing your publishing platform, discovering the benefits of traditional publishing or deciding to self-publish.
Through the benefits at NAMW, you will learn how to begin and develop your stories into a publishable memoir, whether in essay form, a book, a family legacy, or a blog.
We offer nearly 80 audios of live member teleseminars, several free eBooks, and discounts on workshops and writing craft tools and products. The founder, Linda Joy Myers, has taught memoir writing for many years, and has written three books on memoir writing and her own award-winning memoir Don’t Call Me Mother. Her recent book The Power of Memoir is an 8 Step course in memoir writing in book form!
1.) Free Downloadable recordings of the Free LIVE Monthly Teleseminars.
If you are not able to join us live, you can listen at any time to the audio downloads of 70+ NAMW Memoir Writing Member Teleseminars. Learning with experts: Valued at $50 per workshop.
2.) Free Ebooks:
E-book by Sharon Lippincott, Heart and Craft of Writing Compelling Description 
Sharon Lippincott is a NAMW Advisory board member. Learn more about Sharon by clicking here
A $20 value.
E-Book by Jerry Waxler On Becoming a Writer Jerry’s eBook guides the beginning writer through the early stages of writing and creating a memoir. He draws from his book The Four Elements for Writers–Earth, Fire, Air and Water as metaphors for the creative process.
A $20 value.
3.) Special Member Discounts for Workshops,Online Classes, and Webinars
NAMW members get exclusive discounts for each workshop and class offering at the National Association of Memoir Writers. Workshops have included Begin Your Memoir, Spiritual Autobiography and Healing Memoir, Memoir and Plot and others by experts in memoir writing.
4.) Access & Post Your Stories and Writing Samples in our Members Only Facebook Group
If you have any stories you’d like to share, we offer this special space for you to write your experiences. This space will serve as your training ground to hone your writing skills and at the same time, you’ll be able to allow other people to discuss these stories with you via the comments section. The NAMW Members Only Facebook Group is visible and accessible only to NAMW members.
5.) Receive an Exclusive NAMW Member Logo
Demonstrate that you are serious about your work and a member of a large community dedicated to memoir writing. The NAMW Member logo can be used in your print materials as well as on your blog or website.
6.) An Invitation to attend and participate in Free LIVE Monthly NAMW Member-only Teleseminars.
From the comfort of your home, you can call in to talk with a variety of experts about memoir writing and spiritual autobiography. You can learn about creating your plot from dreams and memories, the psychology of memoir writing, how to write the truth and still be invited for the holidays, the healing power of writing, and much more. These teleseminars are over a $600 value and are included at no additional charge to members of NAMW.
During these teleseminars, our members learn about the important elements in memoir writing. Inspirational, instructive, and valuable telecourses that help you begin, develop, and complete your memoir.
Check out our teleseminar page for an up to date listing of confirmed monthly teleseminars!
7.) Access to Downloadable recordings of our Monthly Memoir Writing Roundtables and Previous Day-Long Telesummits.
This list of an additional audio recordings grows monthly and is available to our members for immediate download! A $120 value.
8.) A PDF download of The NAMW E-book: Memoir Writing as a Healing Journey by Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D.
Many memoir writers find that writing a personal history helps to integrate past and present, and gives them a new perspective about
their lives.
This book discusses the important research of Dr. James Pennebaker and other researchers that show how writing heals both body and soul, and makes a case for free expression and the wisdom of healing the past through writing the truth.
Memoir Writing as a Healing Journey helps you with the journey of memoir writing, from how to get started to taming the inner critic. You will learn to how to make the transition from memory to memoir, and soon have many small stories or vignettes. There are powerful writing invitations to help you bypass your critic, and stories by other writers to encourage your path. You will find out that writing the truth is freeing and can be done without alienating the family.
9.) Access to The NAMW Jumpstart Your Memoir Questionnaire.
This questionnaire helps you to focus on the meaning, themes, and structure of your story. Using this tool, you will discover the title, turning points, and affirmations that will keep you writing and help you conquer your inner critic
10) Lisa Cron’s audio and Transcript Wired for Story
This CD and transcript by Lisa Cron, author of Wired for Story, will teach you how to create a memoir that draws people into your story using techniques that always work to create a world for your reader. That world is based on your senses and how writing taps into the power of your brain to enter into an imaginative world.
You can pop the one hour audio in your player or download to an mp3 and listen while you drive or garden. It’s a challenge to write a story that grips readers and keeps them reading. Lisa Cron reveals those secrets here. This benefit is mailed to you in your welcome package!
11.) CD of an interview with Kathleen Adams, founder of the Center for Journal Therapy, Inc, about Writing as Healing conducted by Linda Joy Myers, PhD. This CD will be mailed to the address you register when you purchase your membership.
Kay Adams is well known in the therapeutic writing community for her work using journaling and writing as a healing tool.
She is founder and president of the Center for Journal Therapy, Inc., and the author of Journal to the Self, The Write Way to Wellness, The Way of the Journal and three other books. She is a past-president of the National Association of Poetry Therapy. In 2008, Kay hosted the Journal Conference: The Power of Writing in Denver. Guests included the top names in the field of therapeutic writing, journal writing, and spiritual autobiography, such as Dr. James Pennebaker, Christine Baldwin, Tristine Rainier, and 40 other authors and experts, including NAMW president Linda Joy Myers.
Please visit www.journaltherapy.com to learn more about Kay and Journal Therapy.
A $9 value.
12.) The NAMW Newsletter sent to you monthly via email.
Keep up with the happenings in the memoir world through our monthly newsletter. Stay tuned for featured members, member news, articles, and stories from other members. Each week you receive writing prompts and inspirational quotes to help you writing!
13.) Networking opportunities with other memoir writers.
We want you to be able to share your successes, news, and stories with others. Our mission is to help you connect with other memoir writers for support, education, and inspiration. Membership benefits also include access to contests, grants, agents and publishers as well as exposure to cutting-edge news and information about the memoir-writing field.
14.) 30% Discount on Book Cover Design and Interior Book Layout Services
We are partnering with Susan Daffron of Logical Expressions, Inc. to help you turn your memoir into a finished book. In addition to publishing her own 10 books, Susan is a designer with more than 15 years of experience laying out books and other long documents using industry-standard software, such as Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. You’ll receive a custom designed book cover and a professionally laid out interior at a special discounted rate. The end result will be a book you’ll be proud to hand out to people.
