William Hammett

Your ghostwriter will help you in executing voice, organization, and pace. But if you tell him or her that you were inspired by a particular memoir, it will give the ghost a better idea of how to translate your vision into a published book.

The following are some examples of famous memoirs that have spurred people to put their own lives into print.

• Night by Elie Wiesel
• The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
• Out of Africa by Karen Bixen
• Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
• Chronicles by Bob Dylan
• Walden by Henry David Thoreau
• Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo
• Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
• October Sky by Homer H. Hickham, Jr.
• See No Evil by Robert Baer
• Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
• The Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton

You may already have a crystal clear idea of how you want your story to read, but sampling other memoirs will still give you valuable insight into what elevates a personal story to greatness.

You may also want to read Memoir Preparation.