The Memoir Method Podcast

This episode is for that writer who gives caveats. You know who you are. “Oh yeah, I’m writing a memoir, BUT I’m not a real writer yet.” Or, “I don’t know, I just like writing I guess. I don’t know if anyone would want to read it.” I have met with so many of you who lead like this. And I’m going to be very direct today: Stop it! Today’s episode is intended as a gentle callout to all of you listeni...

This episode is for the writer who finally carved out a two-hour block to write. You have your tea, you have your candle. The door to your office is closed, and you’ve put on your noise-cancelling headphone. Then you open up your memoir document, and you brace yourself. You scroll a bit, you tweak here and there, uncertain of where to really dive in. You add a comment that says in all caps REVISIT...

This episode is for the writer who is wondering what actually happens inside of a Memoir Method cohort. This winter was my first time hosting The Memoir Method as a cohort since 2024, and I’m so glad I brought it back. What might surprise you is that the best part of this program isn’t the writing that happens, and that’s what I want to get into today. Let’s go! Start the conversation with your re...

This episode is really for the writer who has been burned before. You’ve worked with other editors, and you feel like you’re stumbling your way through the dark. You don’t know who you can trust, and you’re terrified of, at best, wasting your time and money, and at worst, being taken advantage of. And the worst part is that you don’t even know if you can trust the people you’re working with. Today...

This episode is for the writer who wants to take themselves seriously as a memoir writer. This is not a hobby for you. It’s not something you’re ambivalent about. Regardless of where you’re falling on the frustration meter right now, you know that your story needs to be in the world, and you’re ready to do whatever it takes to write your last draft. Today’s episode is for you. Let’s go! The Memoir...

This super short episode is a wake-up call for the memoir writer who is looking for an editor to save them, and in the process you’ve wasted hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on editors and programs. Publishing is made to look complicated, but the pipeline is more simple than people realize. So today I want to bring you behind the curtain and give you a fun, free resource that will help you k...

This episode is for the writer who is feeling that overwhelm: every time you think about your memoir your chest tightens, because you’re not nearly as far along as you think you should be. I’m talking to the writer who can’t let their memoir go but who also is feeling crushed under the weight of what you’ve written. Today I want to reframe overwhelm for you, so that you can see it as a tool instea...

This episode could be for two different types of writers: Maybe you’re actually a really good writer. You’re confident in your writing. You know how to turn a phrase. Or maybe you’re writing your memoir and worried about not being a good enough writer. (Most of my clients fall into one of these two camps.) So what I’m going into in today’s episode is going to ask you to examine your writing in a n...

This episode is for the writer who is overwhelmed at all the different steps of publishing and needs a guide, not just an editor. The story behind this episode comes from work I did in the earlier days of this business, and I learned a lesson that I’ve taken with me into how I support, work with, and interact with writers now. The way that I move as a memoir editor and writing coach now is a direc...

This episode is for the writer who is overwhelmed whenever you look at the publishing pipeline. There are so many thresholds to cross, gates to enter, and milestones to reach that what you thought would be a marathon is more akin to a super marathon, or multiple marathons run back to back. “Published author” may feel far in the future, but I want to offer you a reframe in this episode that will re...

This episode is for the writer who is grappling with imposter syndrome. It happens to the best of us, and at least for me, that imposter syndrome led to a years-long creative famine where not only did I not write a single word, I also didn’t even consider myself a writer anymore. This episode gets a little personal, but I’m sharing the surprising key that pulled me out of that spiral and got me wr...

This episode is for the writer who has been doom-scrolling more than they’ve been writing. The headlines this month have been sobering, maddening, and frustrating. I’ve found myself at a loss for how to enact real change in areas that matter to me, and what’s come through on my end is an even greater conviction in this work. Consider this episode your invitation and call to take your story serious...

This episode is for the writer who wants to actually finish their memoir manuscript. This episode is also part of a four-part series that I’m running here on the podcast that I’m calling the 12-Month Memoir. Over the holidays I was thinking about you and what you might want heading into the new year, and what came through was a month-by-month plan for how to use your time, energy, and money as a m...

This episode is for the writer who wants to actually finish their memoir manuscript. This episode is also part of a four-part series that I’m running here on the podcast that I’m calling the 12-Month Memoir. Over the holidays I was thinking about you and what you might want heading into the new year, and what came through was a month-by-month plan for how to use your time, energy, and money as a m...

This episode is for the writer who wants to actually finish their memoir manuscript. This episode is also part of a four-part series that I’m running here on the podcast that I’m calling the 12-Month Memoir. Over the holidays I was thinking about you and what you might want heading into the new year, and what came through was a month-by-month plan for how to use your time, energy, and money as a m...

This episode is for the writer who wants to actually finish their memoir manuscript. This episode is also part of a four-part series that I’m running here on the podcast that I’m calling the 12-Month Memoir. Over the holidays I was thinking about you and what you might want heading into the new year, and what came through was a month-by-month plan for how to use your time, energy, and money as a m...

This episode is for the writer who is looking back on the last year and feeling more discouraged than not when it comes to your memoir. Today I want to validate the frustrations you’re experiencing, highlight why what used to work for your writing doesn’t anymore, and show you how to reset your writing for the new year into a sustainable energy and structure. Let’s get into it. Ready for your own...

This episode is for the writer who wants to finish their memoir in 2026. You’ve already invested years and years into this work, and you just want to be finished with your draft. Heading into 2026, this is what I want for you: Yes, I want you to finish your memoir manuscript. I also want you to love it. The thing is that if writing your way worked, you’d have finished and published by now. So let’...

This episode is for the writer who has thought about throwing in the towel, but something keeps stopping you from giving up. Maybe you think about publishing your memoir, but often you can’t even think that far ahead. What you are actually waiting for is a moment in the drafting process that I’m going to highlight today, and hopefully this small perspective shift can make your writing feel more do...

This episode is part of a series where I take already published memoir and break down what works and why (and what doesn’t work and why). I’ve found that when I’m teaching my Memoir Method concepts to my writers, they benefit from seeing how these principles play out in memoir that you can find at the bookstore. This month I’m looking at the self-published memoir, The Light that Shines Through: On...

This episode is for the writers who know they’re really good writers. You know how to turn a phrase. You know how to tap into your voice and you have a style. You love the craft of writing, and you know that the quality of your writing is exemplary. I say this with so much love, friend: Just because you’re a good writer doesn’t mean that you’re going to write a good memoir. Today I’ll show you the...

This episode is for the writer who is actually really good at sitting down to write. Procrastination probably isn’t your kryptonite (at least when you’ve made writing a habit). I can bet that you’re disciplined and committed to the projects that matter to you. You wouldn’t have even considered writing your memoir if you didn’t have some chutzpah behind it! But, for reasons you can’t quite figure o...

This episode is for the writer desperate to reconnect to her memoir. You’ve felt meh about your memoir for months, and you’ve realized that you hate feeling that way about your story. You hate feeling frustrated and discouraged about this manuscript that actually means so much to you. I walk my clients through very deep and vulnerable moments of doubt and discouragement, and without fail, when the...

This episode is part of a series where I take already published memoir and break down what works and why (and what doesn’t work and why). I’ve found that when I’m teaching my Memoir Method concepts to my writers, they benefit from seeing how these principles play out in memoir that you can find at the bookstore. This month I’m looking at the memoir / true crime hybrid The Tragedy of True Crime, an...

This episode is for the writer who keeps coming back to the same chapters to rewrite. I won’t ask you to tell me how many drafts you’ve worked through, but I’ll chance a guess that it’s more than three or four. I’ve seen this happen with brilliant writers, and it’s a spiral that will cannibalize your offer. You can get to a point where you’re OVER editing, OVER working your memoir, and you’ve lost...