Exploring writing styles in memoirs, breaking the 4th wall, subtle sarcasm, personal fantasies, and the importance of a great ending in Steve Martin's book.

Memoir deep dive #6 Here's what I learned from Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle: -Her book structure was as follows: Prelude (her wedding day) Part 1 :The Before Image (childhood to rock bottom, to pregnant, to marrying Craig) Part 2: The Explosion (being sober and married and a mom is hard, writing is the light in her life, and then the bomb is dropped—Craig confesses that he's cheated on her multiple times) Part 3: The Transformation (a journey to self-trust, forgiveness, and a new way of being) Afterword (renewing her wedding vows) The Prelude and Afterword acted as bookends, mirroring each other. -She uses a coined term throughout the book: my representative. This is the Instagram version of herself, the one she sends forward to protect herself from harm. The one who tells the world, "I'm fine," even though she's not. She came back to this term again and again, until finally, she has a new understanding of her representative. -There were a few moments when she wrote with anger that made me feel bad for her husband even though he cheated on her. For myself, I want to try and take out all emotion, all of my thoughts, and just stick to the story. I don't want to coerce readers into taking my side. I want them to decide for themselves how they feel about the different characters. -The ending felt a little too hopeful, a little too wrapped up in a bow, a little too boring. For myself, I want there to be a punch at the end. I still want it to be happy, but I want to make the reader laugh, or cry, or both. The ending should be a story, and it should grip the reader until the very last words.

In this podcast, they discuss the impact of repetition and analogies in writing. They also explore the use of alliteration and em dashes. The importance of reading writers you admire and using callbacks in storytelling is emphasized. They reflect on missed opportunities and the power of foreshadowing. Additionally, they talk about body image struggles and the effects of alcohol in the book.

Charlie has a conundrum: she wants to cultivate friendships but also loves all of her "me" time. Later, she and Sam get slightly heated about Charlie's visit from her family.

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.

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Here's what I learned from Crying In H Mart: -Food is a very visual theme she uses throughout the book. What's a visual theme I could use in my book? -Specific, observational details are interesting and engaging. -Whenever you write about a person, you have to show the good and bad. People are never one-dimensional. -Litter your book with continuous stories, where you tell a piece of a story and let it hang, then come back to it later. This creates a feeling of satisfaction for the reader that a loop has been closed. -When you admit the things you're ashamed of, it's not only relatable to the reader, it's also freeing and empowering for you, the writer. -Include a chapter about your spouse/partner if they are a part of your story! -Endings feel satisfying when there is an actual end or culmination. In this case, she ends with her music tour, and the last stop is her birth place and mother's home. References: Danica Delacruz's ⁠essay⁠

Sam and Charlie learned about a new term: "Casuals." They heard about it on episode 65 of Eric Jorgenson's podcast, Smart Friends, and now they can't stop talking about it. Also, spoiler alert: lots of The Bear references in here.

In these memoir deep dives I highlight my takeaways from the book and how I can apply what I learn to writing my own memoir. Here's what I learned from Greenlights: - Coin a term for the title of your book. - Open with a powerful, visual scene. - "The choices we make write the chapters." - Take creative liberties: experiment with more dialogue! - Repeat themes/ideas you want the reader to remember. - Make your book unique: McConaughey had little poems written throughout; I want to write fantastic Acknowledgments. - The midpoint of your book should be an up or a down for the "protagonist" (ie me). This is similar to feature length screenplays. The midpoint of Greenlights is the moment McConaughey becomes famous. - Write a chapter on how you met the person you chose to spend the rest of your life with (obviously... because this is the most important decision of your life). - Endings are hard, but it might just write itself. Write the bulk of the book, and then think about the ending. I don't need to start with the ending in mind.

Charlie and Sam discuss risk-taking (Charlie loves to take risks in her creative endeavors but not in her personal relationships), their lack of friends and community (they gotta get out of the suburbs) and their relationships with money (they just hired a personal chef and will tell no one).