Most first-time memoirs don’t fail because of poor grammar. They fail because they explain what the reader already understands. Writers often feel the need to guide the reader through the meaning of an event: “That was when I realised…”“It taught me that…”“Looking back, I can see…” These sentences feel helpful. They aren’t. They weaken the … Read more
Most edits don’t look like much. That’s what makes them difficult to understand from the outside. You can take a paragraph before and after editing, place them side by side, and at first glance, they appear almost identical. The same words. The same voice. The same story. And yet one reads more easily than the … Read more
Most memoir writers come to me asking for proofreading. They assume the problem is grammar. Spelling. The odd, awkward sentence. Or their Post-it note storyboard doesn’t have enough story ideas. It rarely is. The Writing Is Rarely the Problem In most cases, the story is strong. The grammar is respectable. The writing is already “good … Read more
Most memoirs don’t fail because the story is weak. They fail because they read like you’re logging events rather than being clear about your life for your reader. That distinction matters much more than most people realise. You’ve written a lot. The material is there. Important moments. Turning points. People who mattered. But when you … Read more