memoirs

There was one about a blind date. There was another about keeping kosher, but sneaking BLTs. And then there was one about our family's store surviving the Great Depression thanks to help from a friend.

"Most people think I'm a hard-drinking slut, but really I'm an angel of mercy."

Memoirs are tricky. The best of them, like Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle, are brutally honest stories that have you laughing at a feckless father's shenanigans in one moment and crying over a callous mother's dismissal of her daughter in the next.

Check out these tips from AARP on how to write about your life story, whether it be a memoir, personal essay, or something entirely different. This simple advice can send you on your way to a beautiful piece to share with your loved ones, or a best-selling book to share with the world! Here's one: