Hey friend,
One of the questions I hear the
most from men who are thinking about joining my Black Men Write Too
course is this:
“Do I have to write about my
whole life?” That’s usually followed by: “Where do I even start?”
And I get it. The thought of
writing your entire life story — from birth to now — can feel
overwhelming. That’s because… it is. But let me free you up real quick:
You don’t have to write an
autobiography. You can write a memoir — and that’s a powerful difference.
Let me break it down:
An autobiography is a full
chronological timeline of your life.
Think of it like a history book. It starts at the beginning — where and when
you were born — and walks all the way through your life up until now.
Autobiographies are usually written by public figures, celebrities, or people
trying to document their full journey for historical or academic purposes.
It’s about the what, the where,
and the when.
Now let’s look at the other side...
A memoir is personal.
It doesn’t have to include every year of your life.
It focuses on the moments that shaped you — the pivotal experiences, the
turning points, the people who left an imprint, the challenges you overcame,
the truth you discovered.
It’s about the why and the how.
In short:
- Autobiography = timeline
- Memoir = transformation
An autobiography is a full
chronological timeline of your life.
Think of it like a history book. It starts at the beginning — where and when
you were born — and walks all the way through your life up until now.
Autobiographies are usually written by public figures, celebrities, or people
trying to document their full journey for historical or academic purposes.
It’s about the what, the where,
and the when.
Now let’s look at the other side...
A memoir is personal. It doesn’t have to include every year of your life.
It focuses on the moments that shaped you — the pivotal experiences, the
turning points, the people who left an imprint, the challenges you overcame,
the truth you discovered.
It’s about the why and the how.
In short:
- Autobiography = timeline
- Memoir = transformation
This course was built with Black men in mind — the ones who’ve lived through a lot, done their best, and haven’t had many spaces to sit down and tell their story.
We’ve made memoir writing approachable and meaningful with:
✅ Live and recorded sessions
✅ Weekly topics to guide your writing
✅ A printable workbook full of story prompts
✅ Support from someone (me!) who knows how to pull the wisdom out of you
✅ A final goal: completing your own memoir — your legacy in writing
You don’t need to be a writer.
You don’t need to have it all together.
You don’t need to know where to start.
You just need to say “yes” to telling your truth.
Here are just a few ideas that come
out beautifully in memoir format:
- That one conversation with your grandfather that
changed how you saw yourself
- The moment you realized you were becoming your father
— for better or worse
- What it meant to leave home and serve in the military
- How you survived heartbreak, addiction,
disappointment, or loss
- Your journey in ministry, leadership, or fatherhood —
and what it taught you
- The truth about your childhood that you never had the
space to unpack
- What you’d want your sons — or your future grandkids
— to know
See? These aren’t just stories
— they’re blueprints for someone else’s survival.
And you hold the pen.
We start in July. And there’s still
room for you. You can write a memoir. You just need a little structure, a
little push, and a whole lot of support.
Let me help you write what only
you can say.
👉🏾
Join Black Men Write
Too now
With legacy in mind,
Dr. Janice R. Love
Founder, Pearls Perfected Institute
Creator, Black Men Write Too
