memoir craft
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Fun-Sized
A memoir chapter should be fun-sized—not small, but complete. A self-contained tale that integrates all the elements of a story—plot, characterization, dialogue, setting—in one sitting. You should be able to lift one chapter out, read it during an oil change or on a quiet Sunday morning, and feel satisfied. Something began. Something changed. Something ended.… Continue reading
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How to Hook Your Memoir Readers in the First Ten Pages
Memoirs do not fail to resonate because the life was uninteresting. They fail to resonate because readers aren’t invited to embrace a hero. That may sound harsh, but it is also instructive. Just know this. You are a well-qualified protagonist. Your life isn’t the problem. The problem is craft. We can fix this. Matt Bird,… Continue reading