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.