Do You Need to Be Famous to Write a Memoir? (No! Here’s Why)
No. You do not need to be famous to write a memoir. You do not need a wild life. You do not even need to be good at writing yet.
We hear the same worry all the time in our classes. People come up to us and say, “I want to write a memoir. But I don’t think I have a story. Nothing exciting has happened to me.”
Then they try one simple exercise. And every time, they find ideas they never thought of. It is like finding hidden treasure. The best memoir idea you have might be one you haven’t thought of yet.
In this post, you will learn what makes a good memoir. You will also learn how to find your own memoir idea in five easy steps.
What Is a Memoir? It’s a Story of Change
A memoir is not just about what happened to you. It is about who you were then and who you are now.
A memoir is a story of change. That is the most important part. If nothing changed from the start to the end, it is not a memoir. It is just a list of things that happened.
Change looks different for everyone. Your big change might seem small to someone else. That is fine. If you changed, you have a story worth telling.
Memoir vs Autobiography: What’s the Difference?
People often mix these two up. Here is the simple difference.
A memoir is about one event or one time in your life. It is built around a theme. It shows how you changed.
An autobiography is about your whole life. It is told in order, from birth to now. It covers everything that happened.
So a memoir shows how you went from this to that. That journey is your transformation.
Why You Don’t Need an Exciting Life to Write a Memoir
Let’s test this. Which of these two stories would you rather read?
Trip one: A famous person stays in a five-star hotel for a month. They hardly leave. They use the gym. They eat at the restaurant. They go to bed. That’s it.
Trip two: Two friends have never left their home town. They have never been camping. They pack a tent into an old car and set off.
After 20 miles, the car breaks down. They lose their phone signal. They walk to a garage and get towed. At last, they reach a campsite. That night, the wind blows their tent away. They have no money for a hotel. So they walk to a cash machine, because the car has broken down again!
By the end of the month, the two friends have changed. They are tougher. They are braver. Their friendship is stronger.
Be honest. Which story would you pick? The second one, right? Nothing happened to the famous person. The two normal friends went on a real journey. What matters is the journey and how it changed you.
Good Memoir Ideas vs Bad Memoir Ideas
Here are some good memoir ideas. Each one is clear. You know there will be hard times, but also a hopeful ending.
- How I left a 50-year marriage to live a full life
- How I went from broke to earning six figures in my own business
- How I beat my fear of public speaking and spoke on stage
- How I went from grieving my husband to living life to the full again
Now here is a bad memoir idea: “My holiday in Spain.” I sat by the pool for two weeks. I ate and I drank. Then I came home.
Would you buy that book? Probably not. Nothing changed. Nothing was learned. It would be boring to read.
The grief story is different. We want to know how that person coped. We want to know what their life looks like now. That is what pulls readers in.
My Memoir: How a Bucket List Helped Me Beat Depression
I used to think you had to be famous to write a memoir. Then I wrote one.
It is called Project Me, Project You. It is about how I made a bucket list to help me beat depression.
I was going through a very hard time. So I started doing challenges and facing my fears. I travelled the world on my own. I started a business. I got a degree in psychology and criminology.
To me, these felt like small things. But people got interested. They shared my posts on Facebook and asked me questions. It wasn’t because I was famous. It was because I was doing things and changing.
Each challenge took my mind off my depression. Each one made it lift a little. By the end, I had bucket-listed my way out of it. (I’m not a doctor. This was just my own experience.)
Best Memoirs Written by Normal People
Many best-selling memoirs are by normal people doing normal things. Here are three I love:
- The Year of Less by Cait Flanders: A woman stops buying things she doesn’t need and learns to face her problems.
- Maid by Stephanie Land: A single mum cleans houses to pay the bills and build a better life for her child.
- Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton: A young woman goes through dates and heartbreak. She learns the love she really needs comes from her friends.
None of these writers were celebrities when they started. Their change is what made their stories special. We love to read about people who face hard things and change. It makes us think, “Maybe I can do that too.”
Why Your Life Story Is Worth Writing
Too many memoirs never get written. People are scared their story isn’t exciting enough. That makes me sad, because the stories our students write are amazing. Some make us cry. Some make us laugh. Many of these writers were kind, brave or strong, and they had no idea their story was special.
Your memoir can be a gift to your family. I would love to read a memoir by my grandparents. How did they get through hard times? What did they tell themselves? Who did they turn to? Your family can keep your story long after you are gone.
Your memoir can also help a stranger. Think of it like a self-help book from someone who has been there. Right now, someone is on day one of something you have already lived through. Your advice might feel simple to you. But to them, it could change everything.
How to Find Your Memoir Idea in 5 Easy Steps
This is the same exercise we teach in our course. It takes about five minutes.
- Think of five times in your life when you changed. It can be one event or a longer stretch of time. It does not matter how big or small the change was.
- Ask yourself what changed. How did you change? How did you start to see the world differently?
- Write each one as a “from this to this” sentence. For example: “How I went from being broke to earning six figures.” Or: “How I went from being very shy to speaking on stage in front of 1,000 people.”
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Score each idea on three questions:
- Which one was the biggest change?
- How much advice could I give someone on day one? Think about your mistakes, what you learned and who helped you.
- How much do I want to write this one? You will spend a lot of time with it.
- Pick your winner. The idea with the best score, and the one you want to write most, is your memoir.
That’s it. You now have your memoir idea.
What to Do Next
Finding your idea is the first step. Next, you need a plan to bring it to life. We can help with that.
- Grab the free cheat sheet. It shows you how to find your memoir idea in five minutes or less. Click HERE
- Share your idea with us. Leave a comment with your “from this to this” sentence. We would love to read it!
- Want the next steps? Comment below and we’ll show you how to plan your memoir.
Remember: you don’t need to be famous. You just need a story of change. And you already have one.
Click to get the free download HERE
Memoir FAQs
Do you need to be famous to write a memoir?
No. Many best-selling memoirs are by normal people. What matters is how you changed, not how well known you are.
What should a memoir be about?
A memoir should be about one time in your life when you changed. It shows how you went from one place to another.
Do I need to be a good writer to write a memoir?
Not at the start. First, you need a clear idea. You can learn the writing skills as you go.
What is the difference between a memoir and an autobiography?
A memoir covers one part of your life and one theme. An autobiography covers your whole life, in order.
How do I find my memoir idea?
Write down five times you changed. Write each as “How I went from this to this.” Then pick the one with the biggest change that you most want to write.