Have you started to write a memoir about your military life? Or have you thought about writing a memoir? If so, this day is for you! In this blog author and Reading Force founder talks about the benefits of writing a memoir whether you’re serving, veteran, or a family member.


Writing a book is apparently the second most common new year’s resolution. But that does not mean you have to create a bestseller, or share publicly material that still feels raw.
We think it’s important to separate writing from publishing. Recording your experiences is a way of managing what you have inside your head, of getting your thoughts into order. It offers the chance to think about the wider context of what you experienced, and place material into a format that can last.
The benefits of writing to those who have lived a life in or with the military can be huge. Your story is preserved for those who might find it of interest in future. This may be your immediate family (‘What did you do in the war Daddy/Mummy?’) or historians and political analysts, who may really value a different view from those already provided by politicians or military leaders.
At Reading Force, our experience of working with military families is that everyone’s life has been interesting, whether you have moved school lots of times, coped with long periods of single-parenting while your partner was deployed, or can comment on events you witnessed that have been blurred by time. For example, living in Germany shortly after the Berlin Wall came down, we saw still bomb-damaged cities; following directions to a motorway outside Dresden, we found it was a cobbled road. Our children’s school in Northern Ireland had a late start one morning because President and Mrs Clinton were driving past.
Our day’s workshop will feature inspiring stories from those who have recorded their material, whether for themselves or publication. There will be advice on how to approach the process of writing a memoir, and guidance from National Army Museum staff on help that is available.
The unifying factor, heard from all who have got involved with memoir-writing, is that while the process can be challenging, it is utterly worthwhile. The outcomes tend to be peace, immense satisfaction, and relief – that the story will survive.
Join us on Saturday 8th February Writing Military Memoirs | National Army Museum
A ticket makes an ideal Christmas present.
See also our memoir writing competition which will be launched in May 2025: https://www.readingforce.org.uk/memoir-writing-competition-2025/