Start with a Story: Introduction to Memoir Club
Listen to the Full Episode:
Memoir Club. Everyday Stories, Told Well.
Hello and welcome to the Memoir Club Podcast.
I’m Wayne Jordan, your host—and if this is your first time listening, you’re in just the right place.
Because in this first episode, I’ll share what Memoir Club is, why ordinary stories matter, and how this podcast helps you gather the memories that matter—without pressure, deadlines, or outlines. Just one story at a time.
The Memoir Club Podcast isn’t about writing a book. It’s about capturing your legacy, one story at a time. You don’t need to be a writer. You don’t need a big story or a perfect memory. All you need are moments that stuck with you—and a willingness to explore them.
Everyone has stories worth telling, and this podcast is your invitation to start. Every week, I’ll share prompts, mini-lessons, and stories—told simply and with a touch of humor.
By the end of today’s episode, you’ll know exactly where we’re going—and how easy it can be to begin.
📚 What Memoir Club Is (and Isn’t)
So, let me make this clear: Memoir Club is not a writing class.
Nobody’s handing out assignments. There are no deadlines. And there’s no gold star for perfect grammar. Sure, most of us will do some writing. Some prefer to record their stories on their phones, and others just sit and reminisce. My job is to provide some guidance to help smooth your path.
The Memoir Club Podcast is about storytelling—the kind of story you tell when someone asks about your first job, or the time your brother ran the lawnmower over your baseball glove. The kind that starts with, “You know, I haven’t thought about this in years, but…”
For a lot of people, the idea of writing a memoir feels huge. Like it has to be chronological, or important, or polished.
That’s not what we’re doing here.
Memoir Club is about remembering what matters. A little at a time. We’re not building chapters—we’re pulling up moments. Scenes. Snapshots. And little by little, those memories start to add up to something powerful.
So if you’re worried you’re not a writer… good. You’re in exactly the right spot.
💬 Why These Stories Matter
Here’s the thing: these stories you’re holding on to? They matter more than you think.
They matter because they help you understand where you’ve been—and sometimes, why you are the way you are.
They matter because they connect you to the people you love, and the people you’ve lost.
And they matter because no one else can tell them the way you can.
Too many folks think their life is too quiet to be interesting. I’ve heard it hundreds of times: “Nobody wants to hear my stories.”
But I’m not buying it. I believe something different.
I believe your everyday life is already full of meaning, waiting to be discovered. It’s baked into the Sunday dinners, the morning routines, the mistakes you made, and what you learned from them.
The power of memoir is not in big plot twists—it’s in small truths.
So whether you write it down, record it, or just say it out loud to the cat… your story matters. And this podcast is here to help you start telling it.
🧭 How Memoir Club Works
Here’s how the Memoir Club Podcast works.
Every week, I’ll bring you one story prompt. Just one.
Some are lighthearted—like your first car. Some are tender—like a goodbye you never quite finished. All of them are meant to spark a memory. One you can write about, speak aloud, or just sit with over coffee.
You don’t have to keep up. There’s no falling behind. You just show up, listen, and let the story come.
And what starts as a single memory will often lead to another. That’s the beautiful part. You begin with a job you had once… and a few weeks later, you realize you’ve written four different stories about work. Or five about your dad. Or three about household moving.
That’s when you start to see patterns. Themes. And little by little, you’re not just remembering—you’re shaping something. Not a memoir in the traditional sense. But a personal legacy. A life in scenes.
Although this podcast isn’t about writing a book, you might just end up with one anyway.
📣 Recap & Invitation to Join the Memoir Club
So let’s bring it all together.
Memoir Club isn’t about writing—it’s about remembering.
It’s about starting small, following the memories that matter, and letting them form the shape of your life story, one honest moment at a time.
This isn’t a performance. You don’t need to be interesting. You just need to start.
And that’s what we’re here to do—together.
If today’s episode stirred something in you, I hope you’ll join the Memoir Club. Use the form below to join and sign up for the monthly Story Sparks newsletter It’s all designed to make the process easier—and even a little fun.
Next week, we’ll dive into our first real story prompt in an episode titled “The House That Built Me.” Until then, keep your memories close.
The story you’ve been waiting to tell might be waiting for you too. See you next week!