Can a Memoir Be a Self-Help Book? Find Out

What Makes a Memoir a Self-Help Book?

When I read memoirs and self-help books, I noticed they were trying to do the same thing—help people with life problems. The personal narrative self-help approach combines the best of both worlds by showing rather than just telling.

Memoirs tell personal stories. They show us what happened to the author, how they felt, and what they learned. Memoirs like Jeannette Walls’s “The Glass Castle” enable us to witness someone else’s life up close.

Self-help books provide readers with valuable tips and advice. They also provide steps readers can follow, exercises readers can attempt, and suggestions to inspire them. Thus, they aim to enable readers to solve problems or achieve objectives.

If you combine these two types of books, magic happens. You now have a book based on a true story that is helpful to people’s lives.

“Eat, Pray, Love’’ by Elizabeth Gilbert is a famous example. She tells her tale of traveling for self-discovery after divorce and teaches lessons on healing and happiness that readers can use.

Glennon Doyle’s “Untamed” works in the same way. She shares her story of defying what others expected of her while enabling readers to change their lives.

Brené Brown’s “The Gifts of Imperfection” combines research and personal stories to help readers become more authentic. Because she shares her struggles, her advice seems genuine and trustworthy.

There are significant benefits to writing a book that combines memoir and self-help:

• Readers relate to real stories better than just advice. When they see you overcome something hard, they believe they can too.
• People trust advice from someone who has been through similar problems.
• Stories touch both feelings and thoughts, making lessons stick better.
• When readers see how something worked in their lives, they understand better how to use it.

What will make your memoir work as a self-help book is linking your experiences to your readers’ needs. You are not merely relating your story. You are using it to help others.

Readers often write to say they started these books for the compelling story but kept turning pages because it helped them change. That’s the power of combining memoir and self-help. Your journey can lead another along their path.

Step-by-Step Process to Write Your Self-Help Memoir

Now that you’ve read about how a memoir can work as a self-help book, you might wonder how you’d write one. When I first sat down to combine my story with advice for others, there was no roadmap to follow. I developed a process of trial and error that enabled me to write something personal and helpful.

Here’s a simple way for writing your self-help memoir that combines storytelling with practical advice. No matter what you’re writing about—recovering from illness, creating a business, or changing a relationship—the following steps will guide you on writing a self-help book that entertains and provides readers with information they can apply to their lives.

Step 1: Reflect on Your Life Experiences

Before writing, consider the key moments that shaped you. When I began my self-help memoir, I listed experiences that changed me, from losing my job to a conversation with my grandfather that shifted my view on success.

Focus on experiences that taught you important lessons that might help your readers. Ask yourself:

• What challenges have I overcome that others might face, too?
• Which moments forced me to grow or change my thinking?
• What mistakes taught me valuable lessons?

Don’t simply document what happened. Dig in to see how these experiences changed you. For each experience, record what you thought before, what you learned in the process, and how you now think differently. These epiphanies contain the most valuable lessons for your readers.

Step 2: Identify the Core Message

After reflecting on your experiences, find the thread that connects them. When organizing my memoir, I noticed all my stories pointed to one idea: resilience through authenticity.

Your core message is the main lesson you want readers to take from your book. It turns your memoir into a guide others can use.

To find your core message, ask yourself:

• What truth did I discover from these experiences?
• What attitude worked best for me in difficult situations?
• If I could tell someone facing similar challenges just one thing, what would it be?
• What do I wish I had been told before?

Your core message should be brief enough to be articulated in one sentence. For example, “Healing happens when we stop hiding from pain and confront it with compassion,” or “Leadership arises from vulnerability, not perfection.”

Your message doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. What’s powerful about it is how you arrived at it through your life. Your unique experience gives your message weight and makes it accurate for readers.

Step 3: Outline Your Narrative Structure

Now that your core message is defined, it’s time to outline your book. A good outline cut out months of writing frustration with my memoir as a self-help book.

Unlike a regular memoir, which can follow a chronological format, a self-help memoir needs a format that allows storytelling and teaching. Here is a format that works:

• Introduction: Share a powerful story from your experience that captures readers’ interest and states your main message. Explain why your message matters and how it can help readers solve their problems.
• Body Chapters: Organize chapters around big lessons rather than just events. Each chapter should include a personal story illustrating a principle, reflections on what you learned from it, and practical advice that readers can apply.
• Conclusion: Bring your journey full circle by showing how your shared lessons have influenced your life. Include a call to action to inspire readers to implement what they’ve learned.

Step 4: Blend Storytelling with Practical Advice

I’ve found that the best self-help memoirs don’t just alternate between stories and advice; they connect them naturally. When I tell readers about the night I sat in my car, afraid to enter a networking event, they relate to that fear. Then, I explain the “five-minute rule” I developed: Commit to just five minutes, knowing you can leave after that. This simple trick has helped dozens of my readers overcome social anxiety.

Give readers clear takeaways they can try today. After sharing how I overcame writer’s block, I outlined my “morning pages” routine with the exact time, setting, and prompts I use. When I discuss my business failure, I include the financial warning signs I missed, creating a checklist readers can use to evaluate their ventures. The right balance of story and advice keeps readers engaged while giving them tools they can use.

Step 5: Edit and Refine for Clarity and Impact

The first draft of my self-help memoir was a mess. During editing, I learned that refining is where the real magic happens.

Check that every story connects to your core message. I cut favorite anecdotes that didn’t reinforce my main point or offer practical value. Ask yourself: Does this story teach something helpful, or am I just telling it because it happened?

Look at your advice sections. Are they specific enough to follow? I had written vague suggestions like “practice self-care” without explaining what that meant. Adding details about my actual morning routine made the advice more helpful.

Reading your draft aloud helps catch places where your voice sounds inauthentic or your guidance feels forced. Your readers want your authentic voice, not perfection.

Tips for Crafting Engaging and Authentic Content

After establishing your structure and weaving together your stories and advice, it’s time to focus on making your content resonate with readers. This is where your memoir as a self-help book will either connect deeply with readers or miss the mark.

Here are self-help memoir writing tips that will help you make your self-help memoir book engaging and authentic:

Voice and Tone

At first, I struggled to find my writing voice. I kept thinking I needed to sound like a polished expert, but readers connected most with chapters where I wrote like I talked. A conversational tone creates trust and makes complex concepts more accessible.

When writing about challenging experiences, honesty matters more than eloquence. I found readers appreciate straightforward language about struggles rather than flowery descriptions that distance them from the reality. Write as if you’re talking to a good friend who needs your help.

Detail and Specificity

Specific details enhance your stories and life advice. Instead of saying, “I was anxious before my presentation,” I wrote about my sweaty palms leaving marks on my note cards and the way I kept clearing my throat every ten seconds. These details help readers see themselves in your experience.

The same goes for advice. Rather than telling readers to “meditate regularly,” share how you started. The three-minute timer you set, the cushion you sat on, and the simple counting technique that finally helped your racing thoughts slow down.

Balancing Emotion and Instruction

A powerful self-help memoir needs both emotional resonance and practical guidance. I found it helpful to think of emotion as the hook and instruction as the payoff. The vulnerable parts of my story drew readers in, but the clear steps I provided gave them something to take away.

Pay attention to pacing. After sharing an emotionally charged section, give readers some breathing room with straightforward advice they can implement. This rhythm keeps them engaged without making them feel overwhelmed.

Iterative Feedback

No one gets their memoir right as a self-help book on the first try. I shared early drafts with three types of readers: those who knew my story, those who faced similar challenges, and those who did not connect to my experience. Each group provided invaluable feedback from different perspectives.

Listen carefully when beta readers describe areas where they feel confused, want more details, or find your advice unpractical. These insights will help refine your narrative and strengthen the connection between your experience and readers’ needs.

Final Thoughts: Embracing Your Unique Journey

This memoir writing guide begins your journey to creating a book that tells your story and helps others navigate similar challenges. When I published my self-help memoir, I worried no one would care about it. I was wrong. Readers told me that sharing my authentic experiences helped them navigate their challenges. 

Combining memoir and self-help gives readers something purely instructional books can’t—the context of real life. They see how principles work in messy situations, not just in theory. They witness your failures and recoveries, permitting them to be imperfect.

If you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, check out Meminto’s free prompt generator. You can get an idea of what meaningful memories align with your goals so that you can write about and structure them into powerful lessons that can transform lives. 

I’d love to hear about how far you’ve gone in writing your self-help memoir (still in the brainstorming or writing phase, or have you published it) in the comments below!