Telling the Hard Truth in Your Memoir–Are You Holding Back?
Your memoir needs to tell the truth about life—yours—and sometimes that requires exposing yourself getting “naked.” Getting to the truth in memoir is not about being cruel but about adding meaning and depth to your life story. (more…)
Don’t Pass On Reaching A Larger Audience – 4 Tips
While family and friends are a worthy readership for your memoir, it is possible to reach a larger audience. Here are four tips to enable anyone to do so.. (more…)
The First Paragraph Can Make or Break a Memoir for the Reader
Is first paragraph of a memoir really important? Yes. The first paragraph of a memoir sets the tone. Writers sometimes struggle with how to begin a story and will not write the story until they have the beginning—the first paragraph. This is not a good way to proceed. (more…)
Why You Should Not Nickel and Dime When Hiring a Ghostwriter
If you are hiring a ghostwriter, of course, you are concerned with how much it will cost to have your memoir written. Here are some guidelines… What if you had a few useful guidelines to help you determine if the costs you are being asked to pay are in line with current rates? Well, you […]
The Best Memoir Writing Coach: How to Choose the Right One
Your relationship to your memoir-writing coach is likely to be a long one. There is no other way to make it effective. Coaching is like counseling in a way. Counseling requires an introductory, getting-to-know-you phase before both of you can move on to a productive phase. You can’t expect a counselor to help you with […]
Franco-American History and The Lachine Massacre
In the evening of August 4, 1689, the night of the Lachine massacre, a violent rainstorm hovered above the Saint Lawrence and the Island of Montréal. Lightning flashed repeatedly across the sky and deafening thunder resounded above the seventy-seven houses of the community of Lachine. As the Canadiens slept in their isolated farms, fifteen hundred […]
Benefits of Reading the Memoir Writer’s Blog Archives
Read The Memoir Writer’s Blog archives as a way to create a context for you to delve into your memoir on a given day–here’s how it helps your memoir. (more…)
How to Write Your Personal Myth into Your Memoir (Part 2) / A super easy guide to writing deeper memoir
Our lives are full of personal myths which we have lived out—and continue to do so daily. In this video, I write about the “orphan” and the “prince[cess]-left-at-the-pauper’s door.” Both have made frequent appearances in the memoirs I have coached and edited. (more…)
When Should You Start Working With a Writing Coach?
When is the best time to start working with a writing coach? The obvious answer is when you feel the need to, but “the need to” is not always obvious. Many times, writers will decide that they need to submit polished material to a coach and so will put off the coaching process. This is […]