Real Stories, Real Impact: The Psychology Behind Powerful Memoirs

Anne Frank. Malala Yousafzai. Maya Angelou. Elie Wiesel. Joan Didion.

These individuals have inspired and impacted generations through their personal, true stories. But you don’t have to be world-renowned for your story to have an impact.

The most affecting memoir I’ve ever read is Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty. In it, Doughty chronicles her time working at a crematorium after college—a job she assumes will just pay the bills until “real life” begins. Instead, it profoundly shapes her views on life, death, family, cultural traditions, and how we say goodbye. I read it six years ago, and some passages still feel as vivid as they did then.

But why? Why does a story — say, about someone losing their bike — resonate with strangers?

It’s kind of wild if you think about it: something that happened to someone you’ll never meet (and might never have heard of if not for the book in your hands) has the power to stop you in your tracks, right here, right now.

What’s happening in our brains when we read these stories? How do we experience them? And how can you, as a writer, tap into that je ne sais quoi in your own work?

First, the Science

I’m not a science person — but this stuff is actually pretty cool. If you are a science person, you’ll love it. And if you’re not, bear with me. It’s worth your time.

In his experiments, Dr. Zak had participants watch two videos: one with a clear narrative and one that was simply a series of unrelated images. Blood tests taken before and after showed that the story video led to a noticeable increase in both oxytocin and cortisol. The image-only video? No change.

Importantly, these hormonal shifts correlated with increased empathy toward the characters in the story video — even though the other video also featured uplifting content.

In a follow-up study, Dr. Zak administered either oxytocin or a placebo to participants before showing them story-based videos. Those who received oxytocin donated 56% more money to the causes featured in the videos.

His conclusion: oxytocin drives greater concern for the characters.

Dr. Zak also pointed out a critical link between empathy and attention. “Attention is a scarce neural resource because it is metabolically costly to a brain… If a story does not sustain our attention, then the brain will look for something else more interesting to do.”

In short, oxytocin and cortisol help our brains decide that a story is worth caring about.

Kate Strong, a healing and intuitive guide based in Australia, builds on Zak’s work. She notes that when we hear a story, multiple brain regions light up — not just those for language, but also for sensory experience, emotion, and motor activity.

In fact, story-based healing is so powerful that there’s an entire therapeutic model called narrative therapy.

By framing traumatic events into coherent narratives, people engage the brain’s prefrontal cortex, responsible for logic and self-regulation. This process reduces the intensity of overwhelming emotions and transforms them into something we can process and understand.

It’s worth noting that both fiction and nonfiction stories activate these brain responses. But nonfiction has an added advantage: because the stories are real, they don’t just bond us to the characters — they inspire us.

When we know a story actually happened, we’re more likely to believe it could happen again…to us. That’s a powerful thing.

So if you’ve got a story inside you? Don’t let it fester. You never know who needs to hear it.

Bringing It Down to Earth

The science behind stories is fascinating — but it’s not much good if we can’t feel it in action. Fortunately, plenty of people can confirm it’s real.

Kathy Rinchiuso from The Writers For Hire, for example, says memoirs have shaped who she is. Reading The Diary of a Young Girl at 13 made her feel less alone. Since then, she’s consistently read memoirs and biographies, crediting them with helping her become more empathetic and informed.

Not all of them are heavy, either — some are downright hilarious and have helped her embrace a more lighthearted outlook. She also points out that nonfiction can tackle challenging topics like parenting or ADHD in ways that are helpful and judgment-free.

It’s not just adults, either. My own kids — ages eight to fourteen — have been deeply impacted by The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. It tells the story of the 1936 Olympic rowing team from the University of Washington. Despite being uninterested in sports, the Olympics, or athletic narratives, I’ve loved reading and rereading it with them.

Why do they love it so much? My eight-year-old said it best:

What better endorsement could you ask for?

(Daniel James Brown — if you’re reading this — my kids adore your work!)

“While fiction often transports readers to imaginative realms, nonfiction anchors them in reality,” says Amigo Cart of P.P. Publications.

But why is that important? Isn’t reading partly about escape?

Sometimes, yes — but nonfiction provides something else: a lens through which we understand history, society, and human nature. As Cart puts it, nonfiction stories are “beacons of knowledge, guiding readers toward greater awareness, insight, and personal transformation.”

Dale Stanley, a Lutheran pastor, says it simply:

“I think being human is a mystery to us… True stories are instructive. They show us what’s possible — both the good and the bad.”

More fundamentally:

“We think in stories. There are so many little things in life. We could literally go insane trying to compute everything. But a nonfiction story filters life. It gives order, meaning, and guidance.”

Books like The Diary of a Young Girl, Long Walk to Freedom, and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl don’t just help us understand history — they help us understand humanity.

How to Use This Information

If you’ve made it this far, here’s the payoff: how to use all of this to make your writing stronger.

You now know that:

• Oxytocin helps us bond and feel connected.
• Cortisol helps us experience tension and urgency.
• Empathy increases when both hormones are activated together.
• Stories are how humans process and make sense of the world.

Here are some concrete ways to apply this:

• Use a hook to increase dopamine, which helps readers focus. Something like: “Have I got a crazy story for you…”
• Induce cortisol by building suspense. Describe heart-pounding moments, anxious thoughts, or physical responses like sweaty palms.
• Boost oxytocin by being honest and vulnerable. Blogger Stephen Bradford Long, for example, writes openly about mental illness:

• Finally, don’t forget the power of endorphins. Humor, joy, surprise, and self-deprecation can all give readers a hit of feel-good emotion. Just be mindful of tone—don’t force jokes into a serious piece.

Help!

We’ve covered a lot here — and some of it’s a little dense (or maybe that’s just me and my non-scientific brain talking). Hopefully, you’ve come away with useful insights and tools to make your writing resonate on a deeper level.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember: you’re not alone. Whether you need feedback, encouragement, or even a ghostwriter, help is just a click away.