Help us improve MemoirWell Optional analytics and affiliate tracking. We never send your writing or recordings. Affiliate order data is shared through Polar as described in our Privacy Policy. You can change this anytime.

MemoirWellStart free

Free memoir outline template

Your memoir outline,
one chapter at a time.

A few scenes can belong together before you know how the book will end. Choose a focus, make a place for each chapter, and move things around until the order feels right.

Editable chapter cards · Text download · Printable blank or filled plan · No account

Your work stays on this page. It is not autosaved: refreshing or closing the page clears it. Download a copy before leaving.

Find the thread

Choose a period, a relationship or a question. You can leave out the rest of your life.

Make room for your chapters

Start with three, or add up to twenty. Every field is optional. You choose the order; nothing is generated or rewritten.

Chapter 1

A few words you can change later.

What happened, where you were, and one detail you remember. Fragments are fine.

What changed, what you learned, or why this matters to you now.

Label uncertain dates, memories that differ, and records or people you want to check.

Chapter 2

A few words you can change later.

What happened, where you were, and one detail you remember. Fragments are fine.

What changed, what you learned, or why this matters to you now.

Label uncertain dates, memories that differ, and records or people you want to check.

Chapter 3

A few words you can change later.

What happened, where you were, and one detail you remember. Fragments are fine.

What changed, what you learned, or why this matters to you now.

Label uncertain dates, memories that differ, and records or people you want to check.

To print a blank worksheet, leave the fields empty and choose Review my outline, then Print or save PDF.

A chapter plan you can change

  1. Choose a small enough story. A friendship, a move, or learning a trade can be a focus. An outline does not need to cover every year.
  2. Put a scene in each chapter. An action, a place and one remembered detail give you something to write. Note where you are unsure.
  3. Try a different order. Move chapters earlier or later. A chronological sequence is one option; a place, person or recurring question can connect them too.

Invented example · not a customer story

Three chapters about learning to cook

  1. The yellow mixing bowl. A Saturday in my aunt's kitchen. I remember the bowl; I need to ask which year.
  2. Dinner for one. My first attempt to make her soup after moving away. Find the recipe card and keep its measurements separate from my guesses.
  3. A place at my table. Making the soup with my daughter years later. What I kept, and what we changed.

This is one possible shape, not a required formula. Your chapters can stay short, unfinished or out of order while you work.

Before you start

Is this template free?

Yes. Editing, downloading text and printing work without an account or subscription. Print or save PDF opens your browser's print dialog; PDF options depend on your browser and device.

Where is my outline saved?

Your entries stay in this page's memory. They are not autosaved or sent to a server or AI service by this worksheet. Refreshing or closing the page clears them. Download text or print a copy to keep your work.

Does this write my chapters?

The template keeps the words and order you choose. It does not generate prose or fill in missing details. If you want help developing a scene, MemoirWell's separate guided interview can help you work toward a draft to review.

Can I use this with a parent?

Let them choose the focus, skip subjects and approve the wording. Agree who may see a downloaded or printed copy. Each writer uses their own MemoirWell account if they choose to continue there.

Ready to write one scene?

Keep your outline beside you. MemoirWell asks questions about one memory and helps turn your answers into a draft you can check and edit. Your outline is not transferred automatically.

Start a free first chapter

Download your plan before leaving this page.