Making Memoir Magic

Your memoir may include a larger-than-life parent, a spouse facing illness, or someone whose choices changed your life. But if readers know more about that person’s inner world than yours, an important question arises: Where are you in the story? When I began writing Accidental First Lady , I could have filled the pages with my husband’s political career, campaigns, and elections. My memoir began...

My memoir, Accidental First Lady , turns five next month. And I'll admit something: Sometimes I wonder whether my story has run its course. Then I meet a reader who tells me the book stayed with her. Someone discovers it for the first time. Or a copy unexpectedly finds its way into another reader's hands. And I'm reminded: We don't get to decide how long our stories will matter...

January may get all the attention, but September offers its own invitation to begin again. In this episode, Kerry reflects on several seemingly unrelated moments: teaching aspiring memoirists at the library, accepting two proclamations for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, returning from a late-summer trip, and welcoming college football season. Together, these moments reveal an important truth: We...

What if the story worth telling isn’t buried in the most dramatic chapter of your life? What if it’s waiting inside a familiar restaurant, a family tradition, or a place you’ve returned to for years? In this episode of Making Memoir Magic , I share the story of Al Dente, a restaurant in Boston’s North End that my husband, Rick, and I first discovered in 1994. What began as an unplanned dinner beca...

What turns a memory into memoir? In this episode of Making Memoir Magic , Kerry shares the story of her grandmother Nana's unusual collection of dated “I Voted” stickers—and how something the family once lovingly teased her about took on an entirely different meaning years later. The lesson? The memory is what happened. The memoir is what you understand about what happened. Kerry explores how...

Have you been thinking about writing your memoir for years—but wondering whether you've waited too long? You haven't. In this episode of Making Memoir Magic , Kerry Kriseman explores why time may actually give memoir writers something they didn't have when they were younger: perspective. Inspired by her recent Stories of Humanity interview, where she shared the words “It's neve...

What if the story you would have written ten years ago isn't the story you're ready to write today? In this episode of Making Memoir Magic , I'm talking about the dog days of summer—and one very special dog who has me thinking about endings, beginnings, family, and the way our understanding of our own stories changes over time. Betty is the 16th guide dog puppy we've raised for...

Have you ever thought about writing a memoir but wondered, “Is my story really interesting enough?” You’re not alone. Many aspiring memoir writers don’t struggle because they lack stories. They struggle because they haven’t yet discovered the deeper story hiding beneath their memories. In this episode of Making Memoir Magic , Kerry Kriseman explores why finding the heart of your memoir is the firs...

You Don't Know Who Needs Your Story What if you're asking the wrong question about your memoir? Many memoir writers wonder: Is my story important enough? Will anyone care? Will anyone relate? Does anyone need to hear this? In this episode of Making Memoir Magic , Kerry shares three unexpected reminders she received in a single day about the power of words—and the impact our stories can h...

What counts as an adventure? Sometimes, it means getting on a plane and exploring somewhere new. And sometimes, it means sitting on the front porch of a downtown St. Pete hotel with a friend you've known for more than 20 years. In this episode, I share the story of a hot oat-milk latte, a cold—and often pink—tea, two rocking chairs, and a Florida thunderstorm that arrived like a marching band...

Maybe you've filled notebooks with memories, written a few chapters, or spent years saying, "I'll get back to it someday." You're not alone. In this episode of Making Memoir Magic , Kerry Kriseman explores the real reasons so many memoirs remain unfinished—and why those reasons have very little to do with talent or discipline. You'll discover: Why writing "your w...

What does returning to an unfinished manuscript have in common with two young girls selling handmade bead animals from a tiny table on the side of the road? More than you might think. In this episode, I share a quiet moment from Fourth of July weekend that became an unexpected lesson about courage, creativity, and why memoir writers often overlook the stories already waiting for them. We'll e...

This week, I found myself juggling roofing delays, flooring disputes, a package stranded in a warehouse, and a hole in my kitchen ceiling. None of it was life-threatening. All of it required persistence. Phone calls. Documentation. Follow-up emails. Advocating for ourselves in ways no one ever prepares us for. Somewhere in the middle of all of it, I realized that writing memoir asks something rema...

Have you ever told yourself: "I'm too old to start." "I should have done this years ago." "Someone else is already doing it better." If so, this episode is for you. As I approach my 58th birthday, I'm reflecting on the decade that changed me most. In my 50s, I published my first book, survived ovarian and uterine cancer, left a career that no longer fulfille...

In this heartfelt episode of Making Memoir Magic , Kerry reflects on a simple ritual: walking her dog Christie through her neighborhood each morning and pausing to say hello. Those two words—a greeting, a moment of recognition, a brief conversation—become a reminder of something many of us are missing in a world of distractions and screens: the gift of truly seeing one another. Through stories abo...

Have you ever wondered how you'll fit your entire life into a single book? If so, you're not alone. In this episode, we're exploring one of the most common mistakes aspiring memoir writers make: trying to tell everything. You'll learn: • Why memoir is different from autobiography • Why readers connect to transformation, not timelines • How defining moments create structure • Wh...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn a book into an audiobook? In this episode, I pull back the curtain on my journey of recording and publishing the audiobook version of my memoir, Accidental First Lady . From choosing a professional recording studio over a DIY closet setup to navigating ACX, Audible's audiobook platform, I share the lessons I learned, the mistakes I made, and the su...

Why do some moments stay with us for decades while entire seasons of life fade into blur? In this episode, memoir mentor and author Kerry Kriseman explores the fascinating connection between memory, emotion, and storytelling — and why the moments you remember most vividly are often the key to uncovering your memoir. You’ll learn:  why emotional memories stay etched in our minds   how defining mome...

Can writers change their voice over time? Or does evolving creatively mean losing what made their writing unique in the first place? In this episode, we explore one of the most common — and emotionally loaded — questions writers ask themselves, especially after publishing a first book:  “Can my writing voice change?” The answer is yes. But the deeper conversation is about authenticity, growth, emo...

Have you ever wondered: – Am I really a writer? – Is my story worth telling? – What if I start and never finish? – Is it too late for me to write a memoir? In this episode, Kerry shares the five biggest questions aspiring memoirists ask before they begin writing—and the deeper fears often hiding beneath those questions. This heartfelt conversation explores: ✨ why memoir writing feels so vulnerabl...

There’s a belief that keeps far too many stories locked away: “I’m not a writer.” In this episode, we gently unravel that idea—and replace it with something far more freeing. Because memoir was never meant to belong to “writers.”  It belongs to people who have lived, felt, questioned, and grown. If you’ve been waiting to feel more confident, more qualified, or more “ready” before you begin writing...

If you’ve been thinking about writing your memoir—but haven’t started (or can’t seem to keep going)—this episode is for you. Your story isn’t stuck because you lack talent, time, or discipline. More often, it’s a handful of subtle but powerful habits that quietly keep you circling instead of creating. In today’s episode, we’re breaking down the three most common mistakes that keep aspiring memoiri...

If you’re standing in front of a blank page feeling both excited and completely overwhelmed, this episode is for you. Most aspiring memoir writers don’t struggle because they have nothing to say—they struggle because they have too much . A lifetime of memories, emotions, turning points, and questions can feel like a storm with no clear way in. In this episode, we explore how to move from overwhelm...

Writers often think their memoir feels flat because the story itself isn’t strong enough. But that’s rarely the problem. In this episode, I’m sharing a powerful lesson pulled straight from what I’m teaching live right now inside my Zoom workshop for memoir writers—and it was simply too good not to bring to the podcast. You’ll learn why memoir scenes are the key to transforming meaningful memories...

Can you get sued for writing your memoir? It’s one of the most common fears aspiring memoir writers face. In this episode, we’re breaking it down in a clear, thoughtful way. While this isn’t legal advice, you’ll learn how to approach writing about real people with greater awareness and confidence. Drawing from real conversations with other writers, we explore the difference between perceived risk...