Writing the story of your life

Memoir-writing: Growing in popularity
Across the country there are scores of memoir workshops, classes, writing groups and retreats, as well as popular how-to books and instructional websites. "It may be like the scrapbooking phase people went through, wanting to set up a visual record with notations for a family heirloom," says Helen M. Buss, professor emeritus of English at the University of Calgary and author of Memoirs from Away: A New Found Land Girlhood (Wilfred Laurier University Press, 1999). "The memoir is perhaps a more complex version of that desire to document, one which often yields not only a personal and family history, but also considerable personal growth and insight."

Some women say memoir writing is a kind of therapy that helps them heal from or understand difficult events, such as divorce. And, for many, it's illuminating.

A memoir is not the same thing as an autobiography, though, says Claudia Cornwall, who teaches a memoir-writing course at Simon Fraser University in B.C. "With a memoir, you don't have to start with your great-grandfather and go through the history of the family. Your story can capture a few key years in your life, or memorialize a pivotal event."

Though women in their 40s, 30s and even 20s may have less time to work on their memoirs, they're still making their way to it in droves. Perhaps they find value in that self-exploration aspect of memoir writing that they don't get from juggling jobs and babies. Erin says her memoirs have helped her reclaim her identity as someone other than Mom. "Writing doesn't have anything to do with changing diapers or wiping noses. It's just for me," she notes. Karen agrees. "It's very self-indulgent. It's similar to sitting down with Godiva chocolates!"

That may explain the proliferation of blogs, currently numbered at a staggering 35 million. Memoirs, however, are usually more intimate. And unlike blogs, they might never be seen by anyone's eyes but the author's.

Any momentous experience – even a painful one – can spur a desire to write a memoir. Elaine Gribbin, 36, of Morrisburg, Ont., lost her husband, Scott, last year to a rare cancer. They'd been high school sweethearts, together for more than 17 years. When he was diagnosed they had just become parents to Emily, now three. The letters and e-mails Elaine wrote after Scott's death were poignant. She freely shared lessons she'd learned about living your purpose, messages that resonated with her friends and family.

With their encouragement, Elaine is writing a book-length memoir that she hopes to publish one day. "It's been healing just to write things down," she says. "On those days when I think I'm not getting any further, it's helpful to go back and read things again, and see how far I've come."

Page 2 of 2 -- Where to find help when starting your own memoir on page 3.