There are all kinds of mothers in the world and there are many things that are written about mothers every day. Mothers have inspired everyone from world leaders to the kids on the block. However, most of these moms will never have their moment in the sun beyond their immediate circle of family and friends. By learning to write a book about your mother, you have the opportunity to create something truly special that will be a lasting tribute.

Tip one: Decide on a memory or fictional representation

To begin your journey of writing a book about your mother, you first need to know what kind of book you want to write. You can write a memoir that includes memories and stories about various aspects of your mother’s life.

Or you can choose to turn your mother into a fictional character in a book inspired by her life story. Both of these options will require you to know a lot of background information about your mother. A memory will likely be more of an emotional experience for you than a fictional story.

Tip two: collect the facts

Okay, now that you know which direction you are going to take with this book, it’s time to collect a lot of facts about Mom. Sure, you grew up with her and have a lot of memories, but you’re not the only one she interacts with.

But still, you should start with your own special memories about her. Then you can go to interview various family, friends and acquaintances about what they know or remember about her. You will be surprised by the things you don’t know about my dear mom.

If your book is not going to be a surprise gift for your mom, then interview her about her life story. They will probably be more than happy to sit down with you to enjoy your favorite food and discuss events from the past. Of course, if it’s a gift, you can be sneaky and secretly record their memories.

Tip three: create an outline

Even though you are writing about your own mother, the book should be organized in a way that is easy for readers. The easiest way would be to start from scratch and carry it through to today. Or you can focus on a very specific time or event in your life and use that as the basis for the book.

Each chapter will talk about a specific time, place or event.

For example, Chapter One: Running Errands for a Nickel and an Ice Cream Cone

This chapter presents the story of how a mother often ran errands as a child and some fun things happened to her while she was doing it.

Tip four: stay objective

Because you are so close to the subject of the book, you can sometimes feel too emotional and drift into too much sentimental mush. Or, if you have an irritable relationship with your mother, too much negativity can cloud a good story.

If you are going to commit to being the author of your mother’s memoirs, then think of yourself as a writer who has been hired to write this book. Your main goal is to write about your mother’s ups and downs in an entertaining and enlightening way. You can only do this if you can keep your own deep emotions out of it. Save all those pent-up feelings for your own memories.

Tip five: take your time

If other people are going to read this book, take the time to cover your mother’s story well. If you are a first time author, you will quickly discover that writing a book is a step-by-step process that involves putting your thoughts into the right words.

I suggest that when working on the first draft, you allow the words to flow freely, without giving much thought to trying to make it perfect. This way, what you really want to say will come out much easier for you. You can always come back later and edit what you have written.

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