Writing a memoir is often a fulfilling task that brings greater awareness of events as they unfold on the page, but it can also be tricky knowing where to start and what – or who – to include. Here, Breathe gets a masterclass on how to approach this multilayered exercise

ILLUSTRATIONS: SILVIA STECHER

What do writing a memoir and practising mindfulness have in common? At first glance, recording a life story appears a deeply introspective act, but the process can be eye-opening and allow for a more conscious connection with the world. So, what’s the appeal of this form of life writing and how might you get started if you’re keen to tell your story?

While autobiographies of public figures with extraordinary lives continue to be popular, there are growing numbers of memoirs that explore themes such as love and grief through the lens of ordinary experience. As this form of memoir is thematic, it doesn’t necessarily have to be chronological. Many focus on one aspect or period of a person’s life, rather than trying to tell the full story from infancy to older age.

Cathy Rentzenbrink, writer and memoirist, whose latest book, Write It All Down, provides a guide for putting your life on the page, describes it as a ‘personalised response to something universal’. It’s how someone makes sense of their experience and unique perspective, which can be just as interesting as the subject matter itself. The writer shares the learning and insights they’ve gleaned from their inner journey with the reader.

Sense of relief

The benefits to the reader are clear, but what makes this genre appealing for the writer? Cathy’s own memoir, The Last Act of Love, was published in 2015. It tells the story of the long struggle that ensued after her younger brother, Matty, was hit by a car and experienced catastrophic injuries that left him in a permanent vegetative state for nearly a decade. Cathy, who was a teenager at the time of the incident in 1990, describes writing it as ‘a relief and a release’. While many memoirs deal with challenging subject matter, the act of writing about it can give emotional distance and be cathartic. ‘Writing is healing,’ says Cathy. ‘It allows us to process the world. It’s how I work out how I feel about things.’