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The 30-Day Memoir Challenge: How to Write an Exceptional Personal Story

We’re halfway through the 2023 Narratively Memoir Prize! Whether you’ve already drafted your first-person piece or you’re struggling to put pen to paper, here’s how to get started.

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Brendan Spiegel
Oct 31, 2023
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Happy Halloween, readers and writers! If you’ve been thinking about entering the 2023 Narratively Memoir Prize, we have some seriously spooky news for you: There are only 30 days left! But don’t jump away from your keyboard in fear just yet. Even if you haven’t started writing your submission, you still have plenty of time to create and submit a dynamite first-person piece. Here’s our quick guide for 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 piece will be published on Narratively AND win a $3,000 prize. For all the details, check out our 2023 Narratively Memoir Prize announcement post.

Submit Your Memoir

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 a…

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