OPINION: 5 Things I Learned from Writing My Memoir

October 30, 2024 by Chris Earley

I just completed my memoir which is scheduled to be released at the beginning of the new year. It is called Scaling the Wall: One man’s journey of healing childhood trauma to find fulfillment and success. I decided to write the book because my story is unusual and truly fuels everything I do. It is a story that is deeply personal and centers on doing the hard work of healing in order to live a better, happier life. It is a story of pain, but also of hope. I did not write the book for financial gain however, because I am certain I will at best break even on the financial investment I made to get the story out. Here are 5 things I learned from writing the memoir I share in hopes that it may inspire others to write their own book:

1. It really helped to have a writing coach. The best decision I made was hiring a coach. Even though I write quite a bit as part of my job, I had to take my lawyer hat off and learn to write creatively. That I found very hard, but with time, I started to get a little better with each chapter. My coach not only helped me to write creatively, but she also taught me about story arc, as well as the importance of writing to show, rather than writing to tell something to the reader. Most importantly, she helped me understand the vision I had for the book, and she helped me get that vision out of my head and onto the page. She was worth every penny.

2. It was so much work. I originally wrote the book two years ago. A year later my writing coach after reading that original manuscript gently told me I had to completely rewrite the entire book. I then spent the next 6 months doing just that. It was a grueling time, but also a relatively short period time that came and went. Once the writing was done, the editing phase began. Line editing has just been completed, and now copy editing has begun. A specialist is needed for each. Once those two editing phases are done, the design of the front and back cover is completed. The end of this whole process is thankfully nearing soon.

3. It was extremely cathartic. I cried more than a few times during the writing process. The act of writing I discovered allowed me to reach far down into the recesses of my emotions and discover emotions I did not even know I had. I found writing my story and not holding anything back to be extremely liberating and cathartic.

4. I had to make really hard choices. I wrestled during most of the writing process with how much I would share. My wife Rory told me more than a few times that I was either going to write the full story, or a watered-down version. I chose to write the full story, even though that meant sharing experiences I had that involved other people’s stories, as well. That was hard to do but I had to do it that way if my true and authentic story was going to be told.

5. Anyone can write a book. I read recently that 95% of all books never get completed. If you want to write your book, write a few hundred words each day for a few months. Before you know it, you will have your very own book. And as with nearly everything in life, writing a book is a marathon, rather than a sprint. I can tell you however that if I can do it, anyone can. Plus, who knows what opportunities writing your book may open up for you?

Each of us has a story inside. If you are feeling the itch to write your story, the best time to start writing your book was yesterday, and the next best time is today.