Memoir Readiness Quiz

Who we are

Are you ready to write your transformational story?

How to Take the Memoir Readiness Quiz

Write Your Way to Healing and Self-Discovery

You’ve been through something. A transformation that changed how you see yourself, the world, or what’s possible. Maybe it was dramatic – divorce, illness, loss, a complete life upheaval. Maybe it was quiet – a slow awakening, a pattern you finally broke, a truth you could no longer ignore.

And now you’re wondering: Is this a book? Am I ready to write it? Who am I to tell this story?

This assessment will help you answer those questions. The quiz will help you recognise the difference between a story you’re still processing and a story you’ve integrated enough to share. Between an idea that sounds good and a truth that won’t leave you alone.

Before You Begin

What You’ll Need:

10-15 minutes of uninterrupted time

A quiet space where you can be honest with yourself

An open mind and willingness to see uncomfortable truths

Important Mindset

This isn’t a test you pass or fail. It’s a conversation with yourself about readiness, recognition, and resistance.

As you answer, trust your first instinct, not what you think you “should” feel. And pay attention to which questions make your body react (tightness, expansion, tears, resistance – it all means something)

Taking The Quiz

Step 1: Read Each Question Carefully

Each question presents an opportunity to be real with yourself. Read it fully before looking at the answer options.

Example:

“There’s an experience or transformation I find myself returning to again and again — in conversations, in my journal, in quiet moments when I’m trying to think about something else.”

Step 2: Choose the Answer That Feels MOST True

You’ll see 5 parts and 3 questions in each.

Choose the ONE that:

1 to 5 that feels most like your natural, automatic response

Tips:

If you’re torn between the points on the scale, pick the one that your body responds to
Answer the journal prompt at the end of each section to go deeper

Step 3: Answer All 15 Questions

The quiz has 15 questions in total.

You must answer all 15 questions to get your results – at the end you will see what your score means.

When you have answered click reveal my readiness

Step 4: Submit and View Your Results

Once you’ve answered all 15 questions:

Click the “Reveal My Readiness” button at the bottom
The page will automatically scroll to show your results
Your results will include:
- Your 5 part pattern
- What your beyond the numbers means

Make sure you write down your results and ponder on them.

The Memoir Readiness Quiz

How to Know If You Should Write a Memoir

Fifteen questions to help you recognise whether you're carrying a transformation story that demands to be written - and whether you've walked far enough through it to share.

Answer honestly with your first instinct. Not what you think you should feel. Not where you wish you were. Where you actually are.

Pay attention to which questions make your body react. That's data too.

How to answer

Rate each statement from 1 to 5 based on how true it is for you right now. The middle isn't a cop-out - if you're genuinely in between, say so. That's where the useful information lives.

1 Not at all

2 A little

3 Somewhat

4 Mostly

5 Completely

Question 0 of 15

Part 1: The Persistent Knock

Does this story keep finding you?

Question 1

There's an experience or transformation I find myself returning to again and again - in conversations, in my journal, in quiet moments when I'm trying to think about something else.

This looks like: You're at dinner with friends discussing something completely unrelated, and somehow you circle back to this. Or you're journalling about your day and this theme keeps appearing. Or you wake at 3am thinking about it.

Question 2

When I share pieces of this story, people lean forward. They say "you need to write about this" or "I needed to hear that."

This looks like: People remember what you said weeks later. They reference your story when talking about their own struggles. They tell you it gave them permission to feel or do something they were afraid of.

Question 3

I've caught myself thinking "someone should write about this", only to realise I'm the someone.

This looks like: You've searched for books on this and felt frustrated that none of them capture what you experienced. Or you keep thinking "why isn't anyone talking about this?" whilst ignoring that you're uniquely positioned to.

Journal prompt What story keeps knocking? Write for five minutes without stopping: "The story that won't leave me alone is about…"

Part 2: The Healing Distance

Can you tell it without breaking?

Question 4

I can talk about this transformation without falling apart - not because I'm numb to it, but because I've processed it enough to share.

This looks like: You can tell the story and feel the emotions without being consumed by them. You might tear up, but you don't dissociate or shut down.

This does NOT look like: A perfectly told story with no emotion. Real authority includes appropriate feeling - just not unprocessed trauma.

Question 5

I know what I learnt from this experience that others need to hear - not what I think I should have learnt, but what I actually learnt.

This looks like: You can articulate specific insights that surprised you or went against conventional wisdom. You know the difference between the Hallmark version ("everything happens for a reason!") and the messy, real truth you discovered.

Question 6

When I imagine writing this story, my body expands (even if I'm scared) rather than contracts or shuts down.

This looks like: There's fear, yes - but underneath it is aliveness, not deadness. Your chest opens slightly. You feel nervous but also right. This is different from the heavy dread of "I'm not ready" or the frozen feeling of being back in it.

Journal prompt Write one paragraph about your transformation right now. Then notice: does this feel like processing (working through it for yourself) or sharing (offering it to someone else)? There's no wrong answer - just data about your readiness.

Part 3: The Helper's Call

Is this about giving permission?

Question 7

I have something I wish someone had told me during my darkest moment - and now I'm in a position to say it.

This looks like: You know exactly what you needed to hear and didn't. A permission slip. A truth. A validation. And you can now give that to someone else.

Question 8

When I imagine not sharing this story, something in me protests. It feels like withholding something important.

This looks like: A subtle ache or frustration when you think about keeping this to yourself. Not guilt (that's different), but a sense that this story has outgrown being just yours. It wants to be useful.

Question 9

I can name specific people (real or imagined) who need the permission only my story can give.

This looks like: You can picture her. Maybe she's you five years ago. Maybe she's your sister, your friend, or the woman you met once who shared something that made you think "she needs to know she's not alone in this."

Journal prompt Complete this sentence and keep writing: "The woman who needs my story is the one who believes ________ but needs to know ________."

Part 4: The Messy Middle Truth

Are you willing to write what's real?

Question 10

I can write about this without prettifying the pain, forcing gratitude, or performing "I am healed."

This looks like: You can acknowledge that something was genuinely hard without rushing to the lesson. You can say "this part still hurts" or "I haven't figured this out yet" without feeling like a failure.

Question 11

There's rage, grief, or unresolved complexity in my story that I'm willing to include honestly.

This looks like: You're not afraid of being messy on the page. You know that the parts that aren't neatly resolved are often the most powerful - they're what makes you trustworthy rather than performative.

Question 12

I'm ready to write from my messy middle - still figuring things out, healing, and becoming - without pretending I've arrived at the pinnacle or destination.

This looks like: You can hold the paradox of being both guide and fellow traveller. You're comfortable with "here's what I've learnt so far" rather than needing to present as the expert with all the answers.

Journal prompt What part of your story are you most afraid to tell honestly? What would it cost you to include it? What would it cost you not to? That tension is probably where your power lives.

Part 5: The Legacy Pull

Does this story feel urgent?

Question 13

If I could leave behind one piece of wisdom that might change how someone sees themselves, it would come from this transformation.

This looks like: When you imagine your legacy - what you'll be remembered for, what you want to contribute - this story is central to it. Not necessarily the only thing, but definitely in the top three.

Question 14

My unique combination of experience and perspective makes me the only person who can tell this story in this particular way.

This looks like: Not that no one else has had similar experiences, but that your specific intersection - your background, your lens, your voice, your particular insights - creates something no one else can replicate.

Question 15

When I imagine myself at 80, I'd regret not writing this. The thought of dying with this story untold feels like a betrayal - of myself and of who needs it.

This looks like: There's a visceral no that rises up when you think about not writing this. Not dramatic or performative, but quiet and certain. You know this is something you need to do, even if you're terrified.

Journal prompt Fast forward to your 80th birthday. What would the woman you've become want you to know about this book you're considering? What would she say about the decision you're making right now?

Understanding Your Results – The Five Parts

Recognition

The Persistent Knock – Your story is actively trying to get your attention. It’s not going away. This persistence isn’t your imagination – it’s recognition that something wants to be expressed.

Readiness

The Healing Distance – You’ve walked far enough through the fire to offer guidance. You’re not still in the flames. Not complete closure – that’s not required – but enough integration to share with authority.

Service

The Helper’s Call – You’re not writing to process – you’re writing to serve. Your story has transmuted from personal experience into medicine for others.

Honesty

The Messy Middle Truth – You understand that a hybrid memoir requires truth over performance. You’re willing to be seen in your unfinished becoming – which is exactly what gives you authority.

Urgency

The Legacy Pull – This isn’t just your story anymore. It belongs to the people who need it, even if you haven’t met them yet. The urgency you feel isn’t ego – it’s recognition of a debt you owe.

Beyond the Numbers

This reveals more about your score – read and reflect.

What Happens Next

In the next 24 hours

Write one page about the transformation that scored highest. Not perfectly, not for publication – just to capture what’s alive in you right now.
Name why this story matters in one sentence: “This story matters because ________.”
Identify one person who needs this. Picture them. Give them a name. They are your north star – every time you doubt yourself, come back to them.

This week

Start a dedicated journal or document for this story. Give it a working title, even if it’s clunky.
Notice when this story surfaces in conversations. What reactions do you get? Which parts do people lean into? That’s research.
Notice your body when you think about writing it. Expansion or contraction? Aliveness or dread? Your body knows things your mind is still working out.

This month

Make a decision – not about writing the whole book, but about whether you’re ready to take this seriously.
If yes, take one concrete step. If not yet, honour that. Give yourself permission to say “not now” without saying “never.”