With Mother's Day only a few days away, it's easy to reminisce about Mom. What familiar sayings did you hear growing up? What words of wisdom have carried you through the years?
Write about an instance where Mom's words mattered. Her words are a memoir waiting to be written.

Objects

Today, I opened a trunk I use as an end table. It holds memorabilia that I rarely view. When I do take the time to reminisce with the contents, I usually find comfort of days gone by. Today, the memories salvaged weren't inside. The sticker USA on the outside made me think of my mother in law. Thoughts of her carrying the trunk as she came to America made me sentimental. She left all her touchable memorabilia, other than what could fit in the trunk, to travel to a new home. It holds the story of her leaving her homeland and starting a life somewhere where there were no friends and no familiar comforts. This trunk is a part of her life and a story waiting to be written.
Look around your home for objects that remind you of a story. Write it!

Think of a memorable holiday memory and write it down.
I recently read a story that John McCain wrote about one of his Christmases as a prisoner of war. Reading it took me back to the time of the war with Vietnam. I could feel his pain and isolation and yet the story left me with hope. It was a hope that trancended war and that particular time and became a Christmas message for the future.

While most of us don't have quite as a dramatic story as his shared Christmas story, we all have something worthy of sharing about the holidays. Despite the year, circumstances, environment, or type of celebration or lack of celebration, the emotions will trancend the differences.
Writing may give someone future hope.

Memoir writing aids

Here are a few questions that may help stimulate your writing.
What jokes and stories were told?
What principles were taught?
What were some family sayings, (Waste not want not)
What values would you want to will the future?

Character Development

The reader should be able to picture what your characters looked like and how they sounded. What was unique about the things they said or the way they said them? Were there favorite sayings? Were there things they always did that could be identified with them?

Time Travel

Today, take a trip to a restaurant or mall. Be a people watcher and then write a description of someone you have watched. Transfer one of the people from your memoir into today's scene. Put them in the current place and circumstances. What would that character do and say? What would be his mannerisms and actions? Now take that information and use it in your memoir to enhance your character as he appears in your memoir.

Intended audience

How many generations or family members are you going to write about?
Who is your intended audience ie., your immediate family, extended family, general public?