old friend from far away the practice of writing memoir

Read below for a full transcript of the conversation.

Finally, we’ll turn the discussion over to you, and David will answer any questions you may have about memoirs and the process of creating them. What are editors looking for? Do you really need an agent, and what’s the best way to find one? Can you write a proposal, or should you have a finished manuscript? And how do advances work? We’ll also touch on foreign sales and optioning your book to Hollywood. Then we’ll unlock the secrets of selling your book. What are the rules of the genre? How “true” do memoirs have to be? How do you go about writing honestly about the people in your life? And what’s the best way to get started? We’ll talk about craft: balancing the vagaries of real life with the necessity of a narrative structure, the tricks of dialogue and exposition, and the ever-important role of revision. In this webinar, acclaimed novelist and memoirist David Goodwillie explains - and simplifies - the often daunting process of writing and selling a memoir. Memoirs come in all shapes and sizes, but there are several universal truths all powerful narratives have in common. Or maybe you’d just like to write a few humorous essays to send to family and friends. Or you’re wondering how to organize your hard-earned business wisdom into a book. Have you ever dreamed of writing a memoir but didn’t know where to start? Perhaps you have an enthralling personal story to share but have no idea if it’s marketable.

Old friend from far away the practice of writing memoir