Should you stop reading fiction if you’re writing a memoir?

I used to think the answer was yes.

After all, memoir is “real life,” right? Facts. Truth. No room for imagination.

But then I remembered something…

Some of the most unforgettable “true” stories I’ve ever read didn’t feel like reports.

They felt like novels.

They had tension.

They had pacing.

They had characters you couldn’t forget.

And that’s when it clicked:

👉 The best memoirs aren’t just true… they’re told well.

Think about it like this—

If you only write what happened, you give people information.

But if you write it like a story, you give them an experience.

And readers don’t remember information.

They remember how something made them feel.

That’s where fiction becomes your secret weapon.

When you read fiction, you’re not escaping reality…

You’re studying:
• How suspense keeps someone turning pages at 2am
• How character arcs make people care
• How pacing controls emotion

Those are the exact same tools that transform a “life story” into something powerful.

Because your life isn’t just a timeline.

It’s a story.

And stories deserve structure, tension, and meaning.

So no—don’t give up fiction.

Learn from it.

And use it to turn your truth into something people can’t put down.

Видео Should you stop reading fiction if you’re writing a memoir? канала Joel Mark Harris