Memoir Snob

Episode 28: Viola Davis, Norm Macdonald, and David Sedaris

Aug 12, 2023

Viola Davis shares writing tips like 'show don't tell' and considering ghost writers. Norm Macdonald discusses storytelling techniques and blurring truth and absurdity. David Sedaris reveals the humor of repetition and the power of responding with stories. The podcast explores the influence of childhood memories, admiration for David Sedaris, and the effectiveness of ending a story without reflection or lessons.

29:16

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Episode guests

Viola Davis

Norm Macdonald

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Describing things is the essence of writing, so avoid using cliches like 'Words can't describe...' in your writing.

To make your writing impactful, show the reader the importance through your words rather than relying on punctuation marks.

Deep dives

Summary of Memoir Reviews

In this podcast episode, the host shares their thoughts on two memoirs they read: 'Finding Me' by Viola Davis and 'Based on a True Story' by Norm MacDonald. The host discusses their experience of reading and listening to 'Finding Me', highlighting their difficulty with the author's repetitive use of phrases like 'there are no words to describe'. They also critique Viola Davis's writing style and excessive use of exclamation points. Moving on to 'Based on a True Story', the host explains how the book starts off interesting but becomes increasingly absurd and confusing. They express their disappointment in not being able to differentiate between truth and fiction in the memoir. The podcast ends on a positive note, with the host sharing their appreciation for a David Sedaris essay titled 'Santa Land Diaries'. They highlight Sedaris's personal and humorous writing style, pointing out examples of his effective use of repetition and reactions to observations. The host particularly praises Sedaris's ability to end the essay without explicitly stating his thoughts or lessons learned, appreciating the power of the story itself.

Introduction

2min

Excessive Punctuation in Book Review

7min

Exploring Childhood Memories and Magic Tricks

12min

Admiration for David Sedaris and 'Santa Land Diaries'

5min

Reflections on a Sister's Behavior and the Power of Ending a Story

3min

Here's what I learned from Finding Me by Viola Davis:

- Never write: "Words can't describe..." because that's what writing is. It's describing things.

- Show don't tell. Show the reader something is important with your words, not punctuation marks.

- If you have an amazing story to tell but you're not a very good writer, consider hiring a ghost writer.

Here's what I learned from Based On A True Story by Norm Macdonald

- It's okay to have a bad memory and still tell your story because ... no one has a perfect memory!

- The mirroring technique is powerful: when you write something in a very specific way and then repeat that phrase or sentence later to create impact.

- When you tell some stories that are true and some that are absurd, how is the reader supposed to know the difference?

Here's what I learned from The Santaland Diaries (essay) by David Sedaris

- Repeating something someone has said 3x can have a funny, sarcastic effect.

- Rather than respond to something with your thoughts/ideas, respond with a story or observation. This is more compelling and more credible.

- You don't need to end your story with your thoughts, feelings, values to impart, lessons learned. You can just end with the actual ending of the story!

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