Memoir Writing - Free Courses


There are several excellent, completely free websites and online platforms specifically designed to teach you how to write your own or your parents' memoirs and preserve family history. Because writing a life story can feel overwhelming, these resources break the process down into bite-sized prompts, structured guides, and free courses.


1. Dedicated Memoir Writing Platforms

  • Write My Memoirs: This platform is completely free to use. It acts as both a teaching aid and a writing tool. It offers a "memory tickler" form where you or your parents can enter dates and life events, which automatically generates a personal timeline. Their free blog and help sections provide step-by-step guidance on structuring a family biography. 
  • The Memoir Network: They offer a highly rated Free Memoir Writing Course consisting of a five-lesson program. It teaches you how to trigger old memories, use family photos to dig deeper, bypass writer's block, and decide exactly where your narrative should begin. [1]
2. Genealogy & Family History Giants
  • FamilySearch Wiki: Run entirely as a free service, FamilySearch has extensive interactive guides like "Write a Personal History" and "Create a Family History Book". They offer free access to memory-triggering question sets (such as the #52Stories project) and template booklets like My Family: Stories That Bring Us Together, which you can fill out digitally or print for a parent. 
  • Family Tree Magazine Freebies: You can download their free e-book, 30 Family History Writing Prompts. It features structured, printable, and digital pages designed to get you or an aging relative writing short, specific paragraphs about your family lineage. [1]
3. Free University & Video Courses
  • OpenLearn by The Open University: You can take their free course, Start Writing Family History, which teaches you how to turn oral interviews, old family letters, and photographs into a compelling written biography. 
  • YouTube Channels: Channels like Write Your Family History offer hundreds of free video tutorials dedicated entirely to helping everyday people turn dry genealogy facts into engaging, story-driven book chapters. 
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