Cristen Iris on Thinking Like a Filmmaker When Writing Your Memoir

The Writing Podcast

Ultimately, your memoir is not about you. It's about the reader. And what the reader takes away from spending hours, even days reading your book. In this practical episode, Cristen Iris gives memoir writers a clear path to writing a memoir that gets read. Cristen is an award-winning ghostwriter, developmental editor, and publishing consultant who specializes in working with high achievers on commercially viable nonfiction and upmarket fiction projects.

Great Moments in the Episode

(6:04) The importance of focusing on why you want to write a memoir

(9:05) The challenge of writing survival memoirs - cancer and divorce

(18:27) How you know that you have enough material for a memoir and the importance of vulnerability

(23:45) How to think about which structure will work for your memoir

(31:24) The two types of writers and how each approaches writing a memoir

(35:51) The difference between creating suspense and pacing - and how to use both in your writing

(37:28) What a "scene" is and why creating scenes are so important

(41:36) The difference between backstory and exposition and how to write better dialogue

(45:20) A memoir is not really about you, it's about the reader

(46:17) Words of the Episode

Jetsam - the part of a ship's cargo or equipment that is thrown overboard to lighten the load in a storm

Prorogue - to discontinue a legislative session without dissolving it entirely

Visit Cristen's Website

https://cristeniris.com/

Follow Journey Sixty6

https://www.journeysixty6.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@journeysixty6writingforpub

https://www.facebook.com/journeysixty6

https://www.instagram.com/journeysixty6/