Writing & Selling Your Memoir

by Balzer, Paula

• ISBN13: 9781599631356
• ISBN10: 1599631350
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-07-09
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books

Summary

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: 1. Identify strong opening and closing points 2. Find and develop a strong central hook that readers can relate to 3. Structure a memoir to maximize readability 4. Use dialogue and pacing to enhance intimacy 5. Approach honesty and truthfulness 6. Build a successful author platform around their memoir 7. Get an agent?s attention

Author Biography

Paula Balzer has been a literary agent for the past 9 years. Her authors include New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Robbins (Pledged, Quarterlife Crisis, Secrets of the Tomb), Oscar-award winning writer of Juno, Diablo Cody (Candy Girl), American Idol judge, Randy Jackson (What's Up Dawg?) and Bobby Henderson (Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster).

Table of Contents

Intro: Why Write Your Memoir?	p. 1
preparing to write
Understanding the Genre	p. 6
What's Your Hook?	p. 29
Setting Your Parameters	p. 46
the memoirist's toolbox
Structure: Designing Your Memoirs Blueprint	p. 64
Voice: How to Find It, How to Use It	p. 84
Dialogue & Pacing, Killer First Paragraphs, and Awful First Drafts	p. 104
becoming the kind of writer publishers want
Setting Goals & Deadlines: Why a Writer Without Either is Looking for Trouble	p. 121
The Three Major Distractions: How to Avoid Them So You Can Stay Focused and Produce Your Best Work	p. 129
Being Stuck Productively	p. 142
Editing Your Work and Improving Your Craft	p. 147
What's Your Platform? Why You Need to Be Able to Answer This Question Before You Approach Agents	p. 159
Social Media: The Best Thing to Come Along for Authors Since Coffee	p. 173
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Literary Agents and How to Get One	p. 184
Your Book's Publication From Point A to Point B	p. 203
Controversy: Navigating the Difficult Waters of Memoir Writing	p. 215
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