When I begin working with a new memoir client, one of our first conversations is about what a memoir actually is.
A memoir isn’t a comprehensive account of someone’s life. It’s a story shaped around something meaningful: a transformative experience, a defining relationship, or a question that has found its answer.
Clients often bring decades of lived experience to our working collaboration. That wealth of material is a gift, but it raises a fundamental question: What is their book really about?
Discovering the answer is central to my work as a ghostwriter. Sometimes, you’ll find that it isn’t what the client initially states. That’s why extensive interviews are central to my process. I listen for what carries emotional weight, what stands out in my client’s recollections, and what may have gone unrecognized in their own telling.
My job is to find the book within the maelstrom of material. I identify which stories belong, how they function as scenes, and how they connect to form a compelling narrative.
For me, memoir writing is more about discovery than invention. The goal isn’t to include every noteworthy experience. It’s to uncover the story that matters most and bring it into focus.
