Here’s what I learned from three sobriety memoirs:
The Night of the Gun by David Carr:
Interview the people from your past. It doesn’t have to be formal or recorded. It could be as simple as a text message to see what they remember about the event.
This can accomplish three things:
It’s a way to add more details into your story.
It allows the person to feel like they’re a part of the process of writing it as opposed to feeling like it’s one-sided.
It makes you, the writer, more relatable and reliable because you’re giving different perspectives.
The Unexpected Joy Of Being Sober by Catherine Gray:
Don’t break the fourth wall to manipulate the reader or try to get them on your side. Breaking the fourth wall should always be a statement, not a question.
Option: Use sarcasm or let them in on a secret.
We Are The Luckiest by Laura McKowen:
Just tell the story and leave the reader out of it.