About NAMW

Writing a memoir helps you find your voice, tell your story, and reach out to others.

You start thinking about your memories, moments that make you feel young again, wondering: what is the legacy I’m leaving behind? What do I have to say that is unique to me? I want to offer the wisdom I’ve gleaned from my own life to help someone else.

You begin to think about writing a memoir!

When you write a memoir, you need to learn the skills to weave craft and truth. This may mean confronting different family stories from your own, interpreting memories and events that were life changing. You want to find a way to witness and offer testimony to the significant events of your life that shaped you into who you are, and what you know. A memoir can connect you to others in a vibrant and real way—through story.

Since 2008, through our programs and benefits at NAMW, we help writers feel empowered to begin and develop their stories into a publishable memoir, whether it’s a book, a family legacy, or a blog.

Members have access to over 70 audios of live member teleseminars with experts in the field of memoir writing, publishing and book design, several free eBooks, and discounts on workshops and writing products. We gather to connect with each other, and learn writing, marketing and publishing skills through our many events, teleseminars, articles and resources. Our goal is to help memoir writers feel empowered with purpose and energy to develop their stories into a publishable memoir, whether in essay form, a book, a family legacy, or a blog.

Many memoir writers find that writing a memoir is a vehicle for transformation, and we offer articles and workshops about this topic. At NAMW you can find workshops, teleseminars, and interviews with writers and experts in memoir, writing skills, therapeutic writing, spiritual autobiography, and healing.

Of course, we know that we need to learn the rules and conventions of published writing–we need to learn the craft of writing a good story, investigate the power of language, and understand the requirements of the publishing world, whether traditional or the e-Book revolution. Every month we offer free resources–our Roundtable Discussion, a monthly newsletter, and articles, audios, and videos that provide important information and enhance your learning.

A memoir can connect you to others in a vibrant and real way—through story.

The NAMW website offers quick access to new books, the wisdom and craft of published authors, and tips for stimulating your creativity.

Those who join NAMW receive a unique package of memoir writing resources including the NAMW welcome kit mailed to you, and a collection of online and hard copy resources to help you during all phases of your exciting journey of writing a memoir.

Benefits of Membership

Members receive discounts on select NAMW teleseminars, workshops, retreats and other learning opportunities and materials. We have a Facebook page where anyone can talk about their writing life, resources etc, and a Members Only page where members interact with each other, share writing samples if they wish, and talk in depth about their stories, the reasons they write memoir, and what gets in the way.

During the monthly member teleseminars members connect to discuss the craft of writing and publishing a memoir, and enjoy posting events and news our at Facebook sites.

Join NAMW now!

Founder and President, Linda Joy Myers

Linda Joy Myers, President of the National Association of Memoir Writers, & Co-President of the Women’s National Book Association, SF, is the author of the newly published Song of the Plains, her second memoir and a follow-up to her first – the prize-winning memoir Don’t Call Me Mother. She has also written The Power of Memoir—How to Write Your Healing Story, and a workbook The Journey of Memoir: The Three Stages of Memoir Writing. She co-teaches the program Write your Memoir in Six Months with Brooke Warner. She coaches writers, and offers teleseminars and workshops nationally.

Linda has won prizes for fiction, memoir and poetry: First Prize, Jessamyn West Fiction Contest; Finalist, San Francisco Writing Contest for Secret Music, a novel about the Kindertransport; First Prize, poetry, East of Eden Contest, and for memoir writing First Prize Carol Landauer Life Writing Contest. Linda’s new workbook is The Journey of Memoir: The Three Stages of Memoir Writing. She gives workshops nationally, through NAMW, Story Circle, and the Therapeutic Writing Institute, and helps people capture their stories through coaching, editing, and online workshops. www.namw.org.

Blog: http://memoriesandmemoirs.com

NAMW Advisory Board

The National Association of Memoir Writers is directed by a volunteer Advisory Board composed of leaders within the memoir writing community.

Jerry Waxler

Jerry Waxler, M.S., is an experienced memoir workshop leader, and a member of the advisory board for the National Association of Memoir Writers. He is also an author, writing coach and therapist.

Sharon Lippincott

Sharon Lippincott is a lifestory writing instructor and coach, and the author of The Heart and Craft of Writing Compelling Description, The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing, The Albuquerque Years, her blog is The Heart and Craft of Life Writing.

Brooke Warner

Brooke Warner is publisher of She Writes Press and SparkPress, president of Warner Coaching Inc., and author of Green-light Your Book, What’s Your Book?, and three books on memoir. Brooke is a TEDx speaker and the former Executive Editor of Seal Press. She currently sits on the boards of the Independent Book Publishers Association, the Bay Area Book Festival, and the National Association of Memoir Writers. She writes a monthly column for Publishers Weekly and in 2018 launched a podcast, Write-Minded, with co-host Grant Faulkner of NaNoWriMo.

Betsy Graziani Fasbinder

Betsy Graziani Fasbinder is the author of the novel, Fire & Water and the IPPY Award winning memoir, Filling Her Shoes. In addition to her coaching for writers of fiction and memoir, she has served as a professional public speaking coach in Fortune 500 companies for more than 20 years. She coaches writers to develop their speaking skills as an essential part of their author platforms and has authored From Page to Stage: Inspiration, Tools, and Public Speaking Tips for Writers.