Who Would Want to Write a Memoir?

In my blog travels, I stumbled upon Lisa Vaughn and her inspiring story, which she put down into a book to share with the rest of us. Bold voices and compelling stories attract me no matter what the genre. So, I begged asked Lisa to come over to Wistful Nebula for a guest post.

Who Would Want To Write A Memoir?
by Lisa Vaughn

I know what you're thinking...A narcissist? Well, maybe perhaps, but sometimes it's much more than that.

As a reader, I have always enjoyed biographies and memoirs over any other genre, I just think reality is more interesting than fiction. But before I wrote my own memoir, I never really thought, "Why"? Why would someone - who is not known in the public spotlight - want to expose their most private thoughts and intimate details of their lives? And really, who would care?

Well, now that I am added to that list of 'narcissist', I can tell you - sometimes it's not about 'you' so much as a person, as it is about 'you and the healing process', at least in my case.

I never set out to write a book, in fact it's the last thing I ever imagined. After my mother's death in 2005, I found myself dealing with a lot of 'unfinished business' that I still carried with me. In fact, I was shocked at just how much baggage I still carried! Through many long 'therapy walks' on the beach - with just me and my pent up thoughts - I started to make sense of the scattered puzzle pieces. And equally surprised to find there were more pieces in that puzzle as well,  not just my mother.  Then one random afternoon I decided to confide my story to a friend - the super secret story I held locked inside my head for so long.  Why I decided to tell her at that time, I have no idea...but I'd like to think fate, once again, nudged me. She convinced me, through a tear-soaked face, that I had a story the world needed to hear. Huh? Who...ME?

Yes, I knew my story was unique in many ways, but I hadn't hinted a word of my experiences in thirty plus years...where would I even start? Well, I started at the beginning, as they say. And once I jumped in, I swear the keyboard smoked! In less than two weeks I had my first (very rough) draft. Not only was it a chance to put all my random thoughts in black and white, turns out it was  very cathartic - and a very necessary part of my healing process. Not until I saw those words staring back at me did I realize the 'why' of it all.  And that's when I finally 'got it', which in turn allowed me to forgive and let it go...for good!  Freeing my soul of resentment and anger, allowing me to see exactly why things happened the way they did, and the reasons - but most importantly, making me realize ALL my experiences - good, bad or indifferent - actually made me the person I see standing in the mirror today. And you know what? I truly like that person...now.

So there I sat with close to 300 pages of self-discovery...what next? Actually, it was a no-brainer.  I knew it was my mission - my purpose - to get the message out there. And what better way than to publish a book?  My message? Acceptance. If I can help someone going through the same thing, or make a parent realize the damage they may be doing to their children unknowingly, then it's worth it for me to have my face behind that message, in fact I'm proud to be that messenger.  Like they say, if I can help one person, it was more than worth the trip.

So, I believe THAT is why people write memoirs, or at least it's why I wrote mine. Narcissist? Perhaps a tad, but hey, I'm a Leo, so I blame that before my memoir!

Lisa Vaughn, a self-proclamined 'hippie-chick' and freelance artist, has taken her creative voice to a whole new medium, with her memoir, The Gifted Ones. A true story of resilience that sends a strong message of acceptance and the power of love - told in a raw, honest format, much like talking to an old friend. Everyone has a story...this just happens to be hers. Lisa currently resides in Florida along with her loving husband and four cats, where she continues to create her visions of self-expression.

Author Blog-Page ~ Author Website

The Gifted Ones. Conservatively raised Catholic,Lisa,at age thirteen,would suddenly find herself on a totally different path. Through an unlikely chance meeting of a fellow classmate,she would soon find herself innocently taking their relationship to a foreign level neither saw coming...finding out what they are made of as they face the consequences and struggles that come along with going against the grain.

Available for sale at  
Amazon: Print & Kindle Version
Smashwords: All Ebook Versions


Thank you, Lisa, for stopping by and informing us on the process that goes into writing a memoir. It takes a lot of courage to write one. I have The Gifted Ones on my Nook. There's a lot we can learn about creating fictional stories from writers who share with us stories from their lives.