Have you read this essay by Lauren Hough? What’s so human, and so compelling (and by the way, it led to a book deal for her forthcoming memoir from Vintage!), are the contrasts between her physical and working environment (being a “cable guy”) and the internal life she leads: left-leaning, queer, empathetic… When I read a compelling memoir essay or article, I’m struck by how the narrator weaves the inner journey with what’s going on in their physical or outer world, and how the two reflect and build upon eachother. “Good stories show two journeys, outer and inner…” We have all these questions with a strong hook, we want to continue with the story…Ģ: Include both an inner and outer journeyĬhristopher Vogler in one of my favourite writing books, The Writer’s Journeysays: For example: The Bourne Identity – Jason Bourne wakes on a boat in the mediterranean with amnesia, bullets in his body….
#MEMOIR ESSAY EXAMPLES MOVIE#
Even in a lyrical, prosaic essay, you need to explore the internal grapplings with something – well, gripping.īonus tip: Start observing yourself when you watch a movie – how is the beginning of the story presented? How quickly do you learn the hook? Usually, it’s right, front and centre. Tip: Don’t just say “the essay is about my mother.” Or – “the essay is about my hunt for a house”.
#MEMOIR ESSAY EXAMPLES SERIES#
What do they find most compelling? What is the question at the heart of your hook? You will spend the rest of the essay or article or series of blog posts exploring this. Practise finding your story hook by talking about your story with friends. Throw in something unique to contend with or to assert: For example – you were on your second date when the lockdown was announced, and suddenly you had to decide whether to move in together or risk breaking the law or breaking up. Find a common experience – right now, it’s the global pandemic.
Of course, you may not have lost your dog and your husband but also won the lottery on the same day, but the most human experiences can be given a strong hook. It’s that part of your story that beggars belief but also elicits intrigue from your audience. I’ve talked about the hook in many of my blogs and webinars, but really, your hook is that part of your story that your friends say “WTF?” when you explain that the same day you lost your dog and your husband, you won the lottery. Put simply, a hook is something unique, unusual, contrasting, strange or compelling about your specific personal story. The most important thing you need to get right for your memoir essay is also the most important thing you need in a book-length memoir: a strong hook. In this post I’m going to give you the key points you need to remember to write a memoir essay – this is super important if you’re hoping that it will lead to a book deal for your memoir. Publishing a non-fiction piece either in a top publication or even a lesser-known outlet is also a great way to boost your writing profile (AKA that dreaded thing called ‘platform’ for the introverts among us!), gauge interest in your memoir topic or particular threads of the story, improve your google-ability (yes this IS a thing – be assured any agent or editor will google you before they do anything else!), add fantastic clips and extra material to your book proposal, finesse your story and improve your writing skills. You also earn money (if you pitch to a paying publication), improve your writing skills, build your platform and make impressive connections, learn a lot, and more. This is how I found an agent and publisher for A Letter From Paris, it’s how dozens of authors I know have secured incredible book deals. My favourite strategy is to leverage a published non-fiction piece – say, a blog post, an essay or an article – and turn it into a book deal. Paying for endless critiques or constantly workshopping either of the two….Spending two years on your book proposal….Spending five years on your manuscript,.
My favourite strategy for getting a book published is not… If you’ve been reading my emails and posts for awhile you’ll know my favourite strategy for getting a book deal.īecause it’s empowering! Let’s face it, publishing can be slow, elitist, confusing, and secretive!