The 3-Week Memoir Challenge: How to Write an Exceptional Personal Story
We’re about halfway through the 2025 Narratively Memoir Prize! Whether you’ve already drafted your essay or you’re still deciding which story to write, here’s how to get started.
Growing up, whenever my parents would have good and bad news to share, they’d let me pick which one I wanted to hear first. I always picked the bad news as to get it out of the way and make room for the good, so I’m going to do the same for you here… If you’ve been thinking about submitting to the 2025 Narratively Memoir Prize, there are just three weeks left! BUT three weeks is actually plenty of time to create a new, dynamic piece or to polish up something you’ve stepped away from for a bit. Keep reading for our quick guide on how to get going.
Wait, what is the Narratively Memoir Prize?
It’s a chance to write — and then submit — an essay about the most exciting and interesting part of your own life story. The winning submission will receive a $3,000 prize, publication on Narratively.com, a virtual awards ceremony to celebrate — and for the first time, we’ll be publishing the winning story in a special limited print edition! For all the details, check out our 2025 Narratively Memoir Prize announcement post.
What kind of story should I write?
Short answer: The kind of story only you can tell. Long answer: The best way to understand what we’re looking for is to give some of our Narratively memoir pieces a read. Check out a few of our all-time favorites, like, “I Was the World’s Worst Cancer Mom,” “The Adventures of a Pakistani in Texas,” “Diary of a Bachelor Who Suddenly Became a Solo Dad to a Teenage Girl,” and, “My Coming Out Story, Starring a Priest, an Animal Sacrifice and Ricky Martin.”
Do you have any tips on how to get started writing?
Do we ever! If you want to write a memoir piece but aren’t sure how to get started, you’re going to want to check out our post, “Narratively’s 6 Tips for Writing a Revealing and Impactful Memoir Story.”
Who’s judging the Prize?
The incredible Susannah Cahalan, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire, which has been translated into more than 20 languages. And save the date: This Thursday, November 20, at 1 p.m. ET, I’ll be chatting with Susannah for our Open Book conversation series about how to write about the most painful parts of our lives and more. Details coming to your inbox soon!
How long do I have left?
Three weeks almost to a tee! Submissions for the 2025 Narratively Memoir Prize close on Sunday, December 7, at 11:59 p.m. ET. If your story is already written, you can submit right now. Or you can pretend you’re
doing any assignment in high school and wait until the very last minute. Either way works. 😉Do I get to submit for free if I’m a paid Narratively or Narratively Academy subscriber?
Yes, you sure do. If you’re already a paid subscriber, first of all, thank you for supporting indie journalism! Second of all, you can just click here to find the subscriber-only free submission links for both. If you’re not a paid subscriber, you can sign up right now to either site, and in addition to full access to all of our storytelling, you’ll get free submissions to each and every one of our writing contests. Subscribe to Narratively here and Narratively Academy here.
Good luck!
