Category: Memoir

zoom in on detail
Author: Beth McQueen Published Date: May 1, 2020
Posted in Improve your Writing Memoir Show vs. Tell

How to add drama to your Memoir scenes

Narrow your scene down to a single moment to help your readers emotionally connect with your story.

Reading a book with glasses
Author: Beth McQueen Published Date: April 27, 2020
Posted in Memoir Plot

Anchoring your Memoir’s Plot

A collection of books to help you structure your memoir. From KM Weiland and Save the Cat.

Reedsy Quiz theme from synopsis
Author: Beth McQueen Published Date: April 25, 2020
Posted in Memoir Theme

Can you identify a story’s theme from its synopsis?

Try this Reedsy quiz to see if you can identify a story’s theme from its synopsis. Plus additional Theme resources.

showing vs. telling
Author: Beth McQueen Published Date: April 23, 2020
Posted in Character Improve your Writing Memoir Show vs. Tell

How and Why to Express Emotion as Action in your Memoir

Reader will connect with you in your memoir when you show rather than tell them about the emotions you’re experiencing.

Character Arc in your Memoir
Author: Beth McQueen Published Date: April 21, 2020
Posted in Character Memoir Plot

My Outline for a Positive Change Arc Memoir

An example of how to use Michael Hauge’s 6-stage plot structure to write your outline.

THE BLAKE SNYDER BEAT SHEET (aka BS2) • Opening Image – A visual that represents the struggle & tone of the story. A snapshot of your problem, before the adventure begins. • Set-up – Expand on the “before” snapshot. Present the main character’s world as it is, and what is missing in their life. • Theme Stated (happens during the Set-up) – What your story is about; the message, the truth. Usually, it is spoken to the main character or in their presence, but they don’t understand the truth…not until they have some personal experience and context to support it. • Catalyst – The moment where life as it is changes. It is the telegram, the act of catching your loved-one cheating, allowing a monster onboard the ship, meeting the true love of your life, etc. The “before” world is no more, change is underway. • Debate – But change is scary and for a moment, or a brief number of moments, the main character doubts the journey they must take. Can I face this challenge? Do I have what it takes? Should I go at all? It is the last chance for the hero to chicken out. • Break Into Two (Choosing Act Two) – The main character makes a choice and the journey begins. We leave the “Thesis” world and enter the upside-down, opposite world of Act Two. • B Story – This is when there’s a discussion about the Theme – the nugget of truth. Usually, this discussion is between the main character and the love interest. So, the B Story is usually called the “love story”. • The Promise of the Premise – This is when Craig Thompson’s relationship with Raina blooms, when Indiana Jones tries to beat the Nazis to the Lost Ark, when the detective finds the most clues and dodges the most bullets. This is when the main character explores the new world and the audience is entertained by the premise they have been promised. • Midpoint – Dependent upon the story, this moment is when everything is “great” or everything is “awful”. The main character either gets everything they think they want (“great”) or doesn’t get what they think they want at all (“awful”). But not everything we think we want is what we actually need in the end. • Bad Guys Close In – Doubt, jealousy, fear, foes both physical and emotional regroup to defeat the main character’s goal, and the main character’s “great”/“awful” situation disintegrates. • All is Lost – The opposite moment from the Midpoint: “awful”/“great”. The moment that the main character realizes they’ve lost everything they gained, or everything they now have has no meaning. The initial goal now looks even more impossible than before. And here, something or someone dies. It can be physical or emotional, but the death of something old makes way for something new to be born. • Dark Night of the Soul – The main character hits bottom, and wallows in hopelessness. The Why hast thou forsaken me, Lord? moment. Mourning the loss of what has “died” – the dream, the goal, the mentor character, the love of your life, etc. But, you must fall completely before you can pick yourself back up and try again. • Break Into Three (Choosing Act Three) – Thanks to a fresh idea, new inspiration, or last-minute Thematic advice from the B Story (usually the love interest), the main character chooses to try again. • Finale – This time around, the main character incorporates the Theme – the nugget of truth that now makes sense to them – into their fight for the goal because they have experience from the A Story and context from the B Story. Act Three is about Synthesis! • Final Image – opposite of Opening Image, proving, visually, that a change has occurred within the character.
Author: Beth McQueen Published Date: April 19, 2020
Posted in Character Memoir Plot Theme

Six Stage Plot Structure for a Positive Change Memoir

Using Michael Hauge’s Six Stage Plot Structure I’ve created a template for a 3 act memoir with a positive change arc

The Character Arc in your Memoir
Author: Beth McQueen Published Date: April 17, 2020
Posted in Character Memoir

The Character Arc in your Memoir

A Character Arc is one of the three essential elements for a compelling memoir. What arc are you using?

HOW TO WRITE YOUR STORY PREMISE
Author: Beth McQueen Published Date: April 15, 2020
Posted in Memoir Plot

How to Write your Story Premise

Find out how to write a story premise to double check you have all the elements of compelling story.

Memoir pen and glasses
Author: Beth McQueen Published Date: April 13, 2020
Posted in Character Memoir Plot

Project: Preview Review of Memoirs

I’ve launched my Preview Review of Memoir project to help us write the opening for our own memoirs.

chicken and egg of theme and plot
Author: Beth McQueen Published Date: April 11, 2020
Posted in Memoir Plot Theme

The Chicken or the Egg of your Memoir theme and scenes

Should you find a universal theme and write the scenes to support it, or write your scenes and find a universal theme to bind it?