WRITING
The Art of Writing Memoir & Personal Essays
A presentation from Medium Day 2024
This year’s Medium Day was another success and I was proud to be included with my session, The Art of Writing Memoir and Personal Essays. A huge thank you to all those who attended and those who expressed interest in checking out the recording.
I was flabbergasted by the number of people who joined the session — my introverted self had heart palpitations the entire time! Since there was so much interest in my topic, I thought it could be helpful to share bits of my presentation, which is close to my heart.
Writing memoirs and personal essays is a deeply personal and rewarding experience. It allows us to reflect on our lives, capture meaningful moments, and share our stories with others.
The Difference Between Memoirs and Essays
I get asked the question all the time — and constantly do my best to answer it. But to even the most seasoned writers, it’s confusing and vague. And with good reason. Because it is. The question:
What’s the difference between a memoir and a personal essay?
The answer I’ve settled on, and I’ve written this before, is “Memoir focuses on a specific event from the past…
