How to Write the Last Chapter of a Memoir
“How do I write the last chapter of a memoir?” coaching and editing clients will sometimes ask me, wondering how to end a memoir. It is a good question because the last chapter of a memoir is your final shot at affirming your theme and at creating a satisfying and meaningful ending to the story […]
Clichés in your memoir—you need them like you need a hole in the head.
You can avoid cliches and stereotypes. If you do not avoid cliches and stereotypes, you will undermine the unique and personal feel of your memoir. Cliches and stereotypes place people in often erroneous and certainly indefensible categories. (more…)
Writing the right memoir
not writing the right memoir can constrict your writing. The person who has put down one memoir a number of weeks, or months or even years ago, may not be able to pick it up again because the energy that had initially informed it is gone. The memoir has become the wrong memoir to be […]
Develop Your Website: It’s A Prime Interface with Your Audience.
Develop Your Website Whether you have already written a book and are reaching for an audience or are still writing your first book, develop your website if you do not have a proprietary one. Why develop your website? ___ On the Third Thursday of every month (at 1 PM/ET, 12 CT, 11 MT, 10 PT), […]
There Can’t Be That Many Types of Memoir!
There used to be one memoir type. The one kind of memoir genre was that written by famous people about the important events in history that they had taken part in. Mostly, these accounts were about how wonderful they were and how important their roles in history had been. Oftentimes, these memoirs were about excoriating […]
Your Memoir’s “BIG WHY”—A Foundational Concept
What is your memoir’s BIG WHY? Without a BIG WHY, your memoir will not shine. You story will be smaller than it needs to be. (more…)
Why we write stories
Why we write stories. Stories fascinate us all our lives. What is the meaning of telling (and listening to) all of these stories? Obviously, stories entertain us, but our need to be entertained doesn’t fully explain our great hunger for stories. (more…)
No stick characters allowed!
Your characters are the people in your life, don’t write them as “stick characters” in your memoir. Write them clearly and forcefully. (more…)
Write Better Memoir Dialog: 7 Pillars (Proven and Easy to Do!)
Seven easy, proven techniques to write better memoir dialog. How much dialog do you include and when? Follow these 7 pillars for success. (more…)