on Jane Friedman site:
Whether you write fiction or creative nonfiction, chances are, you draw inspiration from things that really happened to you, or happened to people you know.
It makes sense: In writing about things that occurred in our lives, we often come to understand them in a new light, and by telling stories based in the truths of our own experience, we increase the odds of our work connecting with the personal truths of others.
But there are definite blind spots associated with writing a book based on the raw stuff of your own life, and this holds true for both novels and memoirs.
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 