Untangling multiple memoir threads when you life has many interesting story and lesson angles to choose from.
“Trust your hunches. They’re usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level.” Dr. Joyce Brothers
Dr. Joyce Brothers
When writing a memoir about a rather layered life lived – how do you untangle all the story and lesson threads and pick an angle to write from?
Here are 3 things I key in on when untangling the threads of a client’s life story as part of my Book Blueprint process:
#1: What the client “thinks” their memoir should be about, what they feel is marketable, proper, or interesting to others, as opposed to the idea, story, or angle they keep returning to in our conversations (usually without realizing they’re doing it). If you’re so passionate about an idea that you keep coming back to it over and over – that’s something worth exploring.
#2: I’m always on the lookout for things in 3’s. There is a universal balance to the number three, there is a reason there are 3 acts in a story. If I can separate a client’s memoir conversation into 3 underlying themes, that’s a solid starting point for untangling the rest of the threads.
#3: Finally, I tune into my intuition and gut instincts about what the client is saying. Many of the answers you’re going to get about writing a book, especially something as deeply personal as a memoir, are not going to come from your brain. They’re coming from your heart, soul, and gut. Don’t discount those messages. They often hold answers to questions you’ve been driving yourself crazy trying to figure out.
To apply these tips to developing your own memoir, here’s how you can brainstorm like a ghostwriter and extract your own answers!
P.S. Suffice to say… if you need help untangling the thread of any type of book you’re writing (especially any variation of a memoir!) – let’s set up a time to talk!
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