Our last Art of Writing retreat for 2025 ended in Florence with laughter, heartfelt reflection, and a few happy tears. Over four unforgettable days and several nights, eight memoirists gathered in Tuscany to explore, untangle, and honour their life stories.
One of the most profound takeaways from this Life Writing retreat? Your life is the story, but your memoir is the meaning. Our writers discovered that a memoir isn’t only a collection of events. Writing your story is about shaping experience into a narrative that resonates. The memories are your raw material, but the actual writing craft is in the reflection. It’s in asking: What does this mean?
Tips for Writing Your Memoir
Start small: Begin with a single scene or memory that carries emotional weight. Expanding from one strong core moment can give structure to the rest.
Many new memoirists feel overwhelmed by the scope of their lives and the pressure to tell everything. Starting with one vivid, emotionally charged moment gives you a clear, manageable entry point.
- Choose a moment that matters: Look for a memory that still stirs something in you. Joy, fear, shame, pride, or loss. Emotional resonance is what will connect with readers.
- Focus on sensory detail: Anchor the reader in the scene with sights, smells, sounds, textures, and dialogue. For example, rather than I was nervous, show your sweaty palms gripping the steering wheel or the taste of metal in your mouth.
- Let the small moment open a bigger door: Once the scene is written, reflect on why it matters. What does this memory reveal about who you were then and who you are now? These reflections can lead you naturally into other connected moments and give structure to the memoir.
- Example: Instead of starting your memoir with I was born in Sydney in 1972, begin with the night your mother first taught you to walk in high heels, or the moment you left home. These are scenes that show your life, rather than tell it.
Over the next few weeks, our blog will focus on life storytelling. While these tips are invaluable for memoirists, they also apply to any writer looking to bring authenticity and emotional depth to their work. Learning how to translate lived experience into story will make your writing more vivid, relatable, and unforgettable.
What’s Next for The Art of Writing?
Something new is coming…
Behind the scenes at The Art of Writing, I’ve been busy dreaming up new ways to support your writing journey. In the coming months, I’ll be announcing live online workshops, practical tools, and some big changes that I can’t wait to share with you.
Whether you’re polishing a memoir, wrestling with a novel, or just starting to explore your voice, there’s going to be something to help you move your story forward.
For now, consider this your heads-up to stay tuned. Keep an eye on your inbox and the blog for first access. Spaces will be limited for these special sessions.
Exciting things are on the horizon for our writing community, and I can’t wait to take the next step with you.
Read More from Lisa Clifford
If you’d like to explore the stories behind my own memoirs, you can download them here:
Calling all Art of Writing writers! Do you have a piece of writing you’re excited about? A scene or a passage that captures you and your voice? We’d love to share your words in our upcoming Art of Writing blogs. Send me a few paragraphs of your work. Your excerpt can be anything you’re working on. We celebrate all genres:
- Memoir and/or creative non-fiction
- Fiction or short story excerpts
- Personal reflections on your writing journey
Submission details:
- Length: 150–600 words (a small scene or a short reflection is perfect)
- Include: Your name, retreat year, and title (if your piece has one)
- Send to: clifford.lisa@hotmail.com
This is your chance to showcase your voice, inspire fellow writers, feel heard and published as well as celebrate your story. I can’t wait to read your words!
Every retreat reminds me that storytelling starts with one small, meaningful moment. Our Florence memoirists left inspired, and now we’re channelling that energy into new workshops and opportunities. Keep an eye out! This next chapter for The Art of Writing is going to help you turn your own moments into unforgettable stories.
We’re just getting started. Your next inspiration is closer than you think.
Lisa