There's more to writing a memoir than just writing your life story. A memoir isn't one long diary entry. Rather, it's a well-crafted story about a crucial, often exceptionally difficult, time in someone's life. This book talks readers through the process of telling their most personal stories in a compelling, relatable, and readable manner. Unlike other books dedicated to the art and craft of writing memoir, it teaches readers how to approach the genre with love, respect, and know-how without sentimentalizing it. Drawing on her experience working with New York Times best-selling memoirists, literary agent Paula Balzer carefully explores the genre and provides readers with step-by-step instruction on how to:
- Identify strong opening and closing points
- Find and develop a strong central hook that readers can relate to
- Structure a memoir to maximize readability
- Use dialogue and pacing to enhance intimacy
- Approach honesty and truthfulness
- Build a successful author platform around their memoir
- Get an agent's attention
