So helpful! Thank you so much. I’m writing a memoir now and I’m learning so much about finding my voice writing in third person and adding personal elements. Thank you 🙏🏾 😊👍

Keep up the good work. You are great at explaining things.

Excellent interview. You asked good questions and he thoroughly answered.

Appreciate your presentation

This helps me very much as I write my memoir about surviving childhood sexual abuse, human trafficking. The more we tell our survival stories the more we help others avoid such abuse. It also helps our loved ones gain insight and empathy. You are a hero for writing this book!

My book was born a memoir, but like so many unruly children, it grew into autofiction simply because the truth of the memoir, despite a compelling story, left out major insights i only realized while writing. I suppose another option would be to tell the story from the writers perspective in the here and now. I ditched this option because it felt contrived. I'd have to constantly shift perspectives, making for a chaotic reading experience. I truly appreciate your insights on this troubling matter.

My rough draft is 50,000. My editor thinks it has broad appeal & traditional publishing potential. How do I increase word count without it seeming forced? Perhaps more descriptive phrases for sciences & character development?

Thanks. It really did help me write a prologue.

Most of the people are no longer alive should I still change their names

Brenda You are the best I have. No one to help me,I depend on your helpful videos Thanks again keep the videos coming

Brenda you rock. So many teachers just make you feel that you alost cause

This lady is a great teacher she very good at breaking down everything. She makes you feel that you do it Thank you Betty I was about to give up but now with your course knot only feel I can finish I know I can

Wowww. This is amazing

Your vídeos are really helpful. Thank you so much for sharing ❤

It took four years for me to write the first installment of my memoir series that I wrote for my kids. I was lucky to have found a great editor who understood and was patient with my perfectionist tendencies. I wound up completely re-writing it eight times before we finally got to the point where we knew it had to be launched. It wasn't going to get much better. In those eight revisions, I had to re-live every single traumatic event in my life over and over again to get as much detail as I could, because I write best when I'm upset. So the story of an ugly duckling who falls in love with his best friend - the girl next door and is forced to move out of state when his abusive parents divorce, who devotes eight years of his life to change not only his looks but to end 100 years of abuse in his family so that girl could one day be in his family, who refuses to date anyone for eight years and ends up at her front door to try and win her back, goes on to be pummeled with refusals by 138 different agents and publishers. I'm told it's unpublishable and will never be popular. I'm wasting my time. I begin to submit for awards, and to my astonishment, it wins one. I submit for more, and more wins rack up. A year later it was at 12 awards. My editor recommended I resubmit to publishers/agents and within a few months I had three publishing contract offers. Two years after the rejections, it's sitting at 21 awards and made best seller on Amazon in three different categories within six hours after launch. I don't care what anyone tells you. Anything is possible.

Awesome advice, thank you. Is times new Roman a free font?

Promo`SM

I find this very hard to believe.

Amazing, right? I first heard this from George Carlin, the truth telling comedian; That the biggest lie isn't the tales that religions force people to soak up and believe, it's that they've made it impossible for people to judge them for it. That no one can speak out about religions when they are the reason for all wars, mass migrations, sexual abuse etc., etc., yet have nothing whatsoever to do with god, is insane. No, I won't be reading this one. The results of religion; chaos, poverty, money hungry political predators, sexual deviance is real and more relevant to me because it's an affront to everyone's life whether they realize it or not. My favorite memoir will always be The Faraway Horses.

Thank you, Gil and Brenda, for this insightful interview. I'm about halfway through reading your book Gil. I am deeply moved by the courage you've shown in bringing to light a topic that most avoid talking about, let alone writing about. I’m also impressed with your craftsmanship as a writer. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet you at one of Brenda’s courses. It's been a pleasure to delve into your work, and I wish you all the best with your future endeavors. May your book continue to inspire and provoke thought long after the final pages are turned.

Thank you, Gil. I am looking forward to reading your story, how it has changed a life, starting with yours.

I am so happy to watch this. I definitely needed a break (being that I'm also a student now). Also, when writing our memoir it can be a lot of emotional work. I have been writing again. I do hope to be back on the calls at some point when my schedule permits.

Thank you Gil, thank you Brenda. ❤ - Glenn

After hearing this, i just want to say that I am also writing my memoir. I'm lucky to have never been sexually abused, but I suspect my father was. It showed up in his destruction of my mother. I didn't clue into the idea that he might have been abused until I read how many hundreds of thousands of pied pipers in england were abused after they inundated therapists 40 years after the 2nd world war. These children were sent to live with other families outside London to save them from the Blitz. Many were sexually abused and used as child laborers. The fact that they inundated therapists after the 40 year mark is remarkable, and shows how shame and guilt are culprits. So Gil, you are a force that men need to read about. Thank you again.

Thank you for sharing.

this thing is ezzze

Hello Brenda: I saw your book: When God Says No: My Journey through Grief to Acceptance - The first thing I would like to ask is if your are true born-again Christian. When was the moment you crossed over from death to life? - - I am an English teacher in Seoul, South Korea. After you answer that, I have another, much more important question to ask you.

“"I hope you’re not doing this just to hurt us”. That’s all Dad said, moreover that’s all he had to say; his parting words, maybe the last words he’d ever be able to say to me. Those words must have been his final summation of our conversation-the one that took place only in his mind, because I was not a part of it-as if I hadn’t even been there." This is how I began my memoir in 2017, until I heard, "Don't begin with dialogue." -Glenn

thank you for sharing i ready needed it ❤

Really enjoying your videos. Thank you.

I'm always really excited when I see that you've uploaded a new video. Yours is one of my favorite Writing Advice channels. I always get value from your content. Thanks for being so generous with your knowledge. Also I really enjoyed your book, "When GOD Says No" - Bought a copy for my mother as well. 📚

This video articulated what I have been trying to say for a while. Thank you.

Thank you Brenda. I’m approaching 65,000 words. Thanks for your helpful guidance. I’m enjoying using a 1966 Olympia manual typewriter on the first draft.

Thank you Brenda. So glad that you shared this. I like the analogy of the marathon. Your coaching has helped me think about what I am calling "mini" days of writing and "maxi" days of writing. I ask myself - and you've helped me with this - "How much time do I have right now?" "What can I do in 15 minutes, 45 minutes, etc," Thanks for all you are doing to help us tell our stories.

Thank you. I’m trying to write my memoir now at 73 years old.

My memoir is around 30,000 words. Does that still fit criteria for traditional publication?

You are a blessing. This is second video of yours that I’ve watched & I am about to hit “subscribe!” Thank you again. ❤

After spending many months contemplating which part of the story to tell, this less-than-60 seconds has been the most beneficial time spent. Thank you for the advice - it will be put to use. Thank you again. ❤

Hi, love your guide and examples of how to write my memoir thank you

Thank you for sharing this. ❤

This video was very helpful. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.

This is impactful. ONE SCENE though included in my memoir, did not make it so important. so thank you for this. Helpful. Thank you

Hi Brenda, I’m in the process off writing my memoir about also the death of my mother it’s very painful because I was 3 y/o and changed my life forever. I will like toch with you please let me know about your classes thank you

Great tips

Brenda You are my favorite teacher, encouraging you tube instructor. I absolutely love your Memoir

This clearly explained and illustrated interiority and external events for me. How to identify and write about them. Gave me a new way to look at my scenes and better rewrite them. Thanks, this was very helpful, Brenda!

Thank you!

this is so helpful & very informative , this we make me write my first memoir thank you so much <3

Wow this was great thank you

I absolutely love your channel and appreciate your advice 🌷