For professionals with a story
How to write a book about your life story
Last updated: Published by Defining Moments Press
To write a book about your life story, build it around one lesson that helps one specific reader, then outline it before you write a single chapter.
Defining Moments Press helps professionals, coaches, healers, and people with powerful stories write nonfiction books that grow a business, open doors to speaking, and help others. The plan below follows the same sequence it teaches, so a busy professional can finish in weeks, not years.
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01How do I write a book about my life story?
Start with the reader, not the timeline. A life story becomes a useful nonfiction book when every chapter answers a question your reader is living right now. That shift turns memories into guidance.
You do not need to be famous. Defining Moments Pressworks with authors “even if no one has ever heard of you,” and its programs start from what you know and what you have overcome.
02Should I write my story or my lesson?
Definition
Story-driven nonfiction, defined
Story-driven nonfiction uses your real experience as evidence for a lesson the reader can apply. A pure memoir centers the author's life; a Defining Moments Press-style nonfiction book centers the reader's next step and uses your story to earn trust. For professionals, that second form tends to do more: it shows your expertise, gives readers a reason to contact you, and can become the base for talks and client work.
03A step-by-step plan for professionals
Step 1: Name your defining moment
The turning point that shaped your mission is often the spine of the book.Step 2: Choose one reader
Describe the person who most needs your lesson today.Step 3: Write the promise
One sentence: what the reader will be able to do or understand after reading.Step 4: Outline chapters as lessons
Each chapter pairs a piece of your story with a takeaway.Step 5: Write in short, scheduled sessions
About 2 to 5 hours a week is enough for the 8-week Author Blueprint plan.Step 6: Edit, self-publish, and launch
See the self-publishing guide for this stage.
04What can a book do for a professional?
One Defining Moments Press client case study shows what is possible, though it is not typical. Her industry was shut down during the pandemic and she needed an urgent way to earn. She had written a book before but sold very few copies.
Case study
Before and after one book
Before: a previous book with few sales and an industry on pause.
After, as reported by Defining Moments Press: over 10,000 books sold, international number one bestselling author, a TED talk, paid corporate speaking, a TV booking, 7 streams of income from the book, and an 8-figure business.
Defining Moments Press states that results are not guaranteed or typical and that a lot of hard work is involved. More on its case studies page.
05Where does this method come from?
Defining Moments Press was founded by Melanie Warner, a number one international bestselling author and self-publishing expert who has published magazines, newspapers, and books for over 25 years. After losing her son, she wrote her first book in the Defining Moments series, Defining Moments: Coping With the Loss of a Child. The series shares stories of hope from people who have overcome extreme challenges.
Read the full nonfiction writing coach guide or start with the free one-hour course.
06Common questions
- Is this right for a memoir or a life story?
- Yes, if your story carries a lesson that can help readers. Defining Moments Press asks whether you have a story or life lesson that can help others and says it helps authors find their voice and their audience. Its own Defining Moments book series shares stories of hope from people who have overcome extreme challenges in life and business.
- Can I write a book if I am not a good writer?
- Yes. Many first-time authors worry about this, and Defining Moments Press says its students conquer fears, challenges, and limiting beliefs during the process. Templates and a step-by-step outline do much of the heavy lifting. If you would rather not write at all, its Author Premium service uses ghostwriters to write the book for you.
- Can professionals with no audience write a successful book?
- Yes, an existing audience is not a requirement. Defining Moments Press says you can write your bestselling book even if no one has ever heard of you, and its free course covers knowing your reader and building authority as an expert. Results vary and are not guaranteed; the book is a tool you still need to market.
- What is a creative nonfiction writing coach?
- A creative nonfiction writing coach helps you tell true stories with the tools of fiction: scenes, voice, and a clear arc. If your book centers on a personal turning point, a life lesson, or a hard season you came through, this kind of coaching fits. Defining Moments Press focuses on stories and life lessons that can help others and helps authors find their voice and audience.
- What if I keep starting and never finish?
- That is the most common problem. Defining Moments Press names lack of clarity as the number one reason people never finish, and it cites that 80 percent of people say they want to write a book while only 1 percent do. A clear outline, a fixed weekly schedule, and a community or coach for accountability usually change the outcome.