The Page & Podium Podcast with Dr. Amanda Nell Edgar

Hope Fabillar is one of our Memoir Method graduates. In this video, Hope and Amanda discuss how to write a deeply personal family story, being vulnerable through story telling, how to find the support and process that will work for you , and how to share and talk about that process with family. Do you have a plan for actually finishing your memoir? If not, we know you aren’t making the progress yo...

In our fourth and final part of our revision series, Amanda discusses how revision is a process, and how many authors hold many misconceptions about that process. Revision is not the linear process of going through your draft page by page. That's editing. Revision is a out-in process, starting with reconsidering the work as a whole and then working down into the details. It's crucial to remember t...

In part three of our four-part revision series, we talk about a necessary, but often fraught and scary, step of the revision process: getting feedback. Most writers know that feedback is necessary for making polished final drafts, but beginning writers don't always know how and when to seek it out. It can be very exciting to have accomplished enough writing to getting feedback. But not all feedbac...

In our second part of our four-part revision series, we ask a fundamental question: what makes a memoir good? So many writers avoid even starting their book because they're afraid it won't be good. They want assurance that it will be good before they start. We're sorry to say that no one can really give you that assurance because the basics of the story isn't what makes a book good--it's the work...

Drafting can be a heady, dizzying experience, especially for first-time writers. Many different approaches bring us to the page, and after months or even years of work, we have something that kind of resembles a book. It's book-shaped, if you will. There is a bookish amount of words in the document. But how close is it to be a finished book? How do you start to take what you have done so far and b...

If you're here, you have probably had an itch to tell your story. Your life is unique and what you've learned through your experiences feels powerful to you. We hear from authors so often who want to tell their story--but aren't sure anyone wants to read it. We hear the question all the time--is this story even worth writing? The only one that can really answer that question is you, but there are...

Anything that feels like a slog is going to be put last on our to do list, which is a death knell to creative projects. While there's no short cut that makes it lightning fast or painlessly easy, this week we have ten tips to keep your momentum forward and accelerate the writing process. An unfinished book is a tragedy, so these tips can help you keep moving forward until you have a complete draft...

Having a strong outline is important because the underlying structure is what makes or breaks so many narratives. But how do you know your outline is "right"? There are so many forms and approaches to outlines out there, and the majority of them do not have memoirs in mind. Memoirs are their own form of writing, and they deserve to have their own considerations when it comes to outlining them. Str...

Working with editors can be amazing to make your story so much stronger--it can also be scary, especially if the story is as personal to you as memoirs should be. Editors should be stepping into the life of your book as you're shifting from the raw creative process to thinking about the market and publishing steps you want to take. Getting feedback and bringing in other voices and opinions into th...

At the end of the week, are you beating yourself up for not writing? Are you looking back and wondering where exactly you were supposed to find the time? Finding time to write is one of the biggest hurdles all writers face, especially when we are writing for ourselves, on top of all the other things we have to and want to do in a week, not to mention all the other people we owe our time to. Both y...

You've put in the time, written that amazing book. How then do you get it out into the world and in the hands of readers? This week, we have special guest Susan Friedmann. Susan is a badass in nonfiction book marketing. With 30+ years of experience, her company, Aviva Publishing, helps authors sell books in bulk and thrive in their niche. International bestselling author of 18 books-her first sold...

Memoirs can sink or swim based more on the structure than any other element of writing. It's easy to edit for better prose, but without a strong underlying structure, that editing will be all polish. To avoid pouring time into a manuscript that needs massive rewriting and revisions, we strongly urge writers to form a strong outline before you begin drafting your book. If you're unsure how to start...

Editors are worth their weight in gold, but writers will often misplace their investment in editors when they don't have clear understanding of the editorial process. Hiring the wrong editor at the wrong time can be a massive waste of both time and money, leading to repeating steps (and paying twice!) or a disjointed and unpolished book. This week, Amanda reviews the different kinds of editors, wh...

The literary and publishing industry is full of jargon and terms that are thrown around casually and used so often than we often forget that their meaning might be misunderstood, often to the detriment of first-time or emerging authors. This week, Amanda breaks down 10 industry terms you might be hearing a lot and what they really mean to publishers and publishing professionals. 🔗 You've got the...

Family stories are precious because they reveal so much about our personal history, the experiences of those we love, and what has shaped those who have had a hand in shaping us. Many family histories don't get shared across the generations, and often it's simply because people don't ask the right question or dedicate the time to listen. If you're thinking of gathering a family history or writing...

The process of traditional publishing can feel very opaque and mysterious to first-time authors, and one of the most common questions, and surprises, they have is how long does the process actually take. While mileage does vary, generally the short answer is longer than you think. There are steps in the process that you might not know to expect and each step takes its own chunk of time. In this we...

We all hear tell of the dreaded "writer's block," but often there's something more fundamental and psychological happening when you get stuck in the process of writing--or never really starting--your memoir. We are always processing the events that have happened to us, and when those events are transformative in some way, it can take time to fully understand and integrate those experiences into ou...

One nagging question aspiring writers have can often hold them back from starting--do I even have enough for a book? Is this idea big enough? Do I have enough stories to tell or points to make? It's not a completely unmoored question, as some ideas are better for short form models. A full-length book does need several major turning points, minor development, and nuanced ideas you can explore from...

Events in the world can become overwhelming. From the constant dire stream of news on your phone to the general sense of worry and helplessness, it can be hard to decide what to do next, much less find he focus to make progress on your book. But writing your story, your ideas, to share with the world is more important now than ever. Not only is it important to safeguard your mental health, it can...

There are more ways than ever before to bring your ideas and writing to your audience. How do you decide what path is best for you? In this week's video, we explore the three main paths that are currently available to writers and the pros and cons of each system, including timelines, cost, and expectations on you as the writer. Whether you choose traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing, always rem...

When you're first starting out writing book, there is so much uncertainty and questions that surround this long and opaque process. With all the things to decide, it can be hard to know where to begin. There are, however, some great guidelines you can use to figure out about how long your book should be. It won't be exact to the word, of course, but having a round number goal in mind can help you...

Love is in the air...and so are a lot of clichés and sappy, chocolate-covered metaphors. Love is so central to our lives and to our stories, so why is it so hard to write about it with honesty and sincerity? In honor of Valentine's day coming up this Friday, this week we're talking about how to write about love and the human connections we form without all the sap and cheese. 🔗 You've got the sto...

Often the biggest barriers are the ones that just keep us from getting started. When we work with writers, they have this great idea that is just itching to be brought to life. But many wonder if they're good enough to do the idea justice. Or if they know enough to even really get started bringing it to the page. Writer's often face what we culturally call "imposter syndrome," or the idea that you...

Writing a book and marketing it are two completely different beasts. It's a big shift to go from writing, editing, and polishing your book to talking about it with people in order to get them excited and invested in learning about your ideas. This week, Amanda lays out why identifying the core pillars of your ideas is a key step in this shift and how to make one tool that will help you prepare for...

Sometimes we know exactly what procrastination feels and looks like--a classic case of the idunwannas is plenty hard to overcome on its own. We can remind ourselves that yes, we really do want to and find ways to make the process fun again. But that is not the only way you may be procrastinating, and the sneaky ways are the hardest to recognize and conquer. Watch for how to recognize four ways pro...