49: Beth Kephart, Memoir Writer and Coach

"It's all about the questions you ask." This is advice given by Beth Kephart to memoir writers, but it's just as applicable for those who ghostwrite memoirs. Listen in as we discuss:

• How we can use escalating questions to guide our storytellers to deeper and deeper stories
• How Beth teaches her workshop participants "empathetic imagination" through one-on-one conversations with others
• The gap between a person's spoken voice and their written voice, and how to study the techniques of dialogue in published memoirs

Diction is the atmosphere you create with words."

• Why scenes and rich details are better than a bald recounting of life's events
• Why emotionally resonant themes like "Holidays" or "Food" can lead to rich veins of stories

Beth also gives us a detailed overview of her intensive 5-day long writing workshops. These aren't your yoga-and-writing-prompts-and wine workshops; at Juncture, participants receive a semester's worth of writing direction, critique, and publication guidance. Want to see for yourself? You can find them here.

View and subscribe to Beth's newsletter here.

Her websites are at junctureworkshops.com and bethkephartbooks.com