Blame Aristotle.  Blame classical Greek culture. Blame all of Western Civilization. But every story must have a beginning, middle, and end. And more than that. Without narrative structure, non-fiction writing is just a boring recitation of one thing after another. You may think because it is based on your experiences, historical events, scientific experimentation, or natural observations that you don’t need a story to write a book. Think again. Fictio, from the Latin, is the heart of writing: to inscribe, shape and mold an inventive or interpretive explanation. To write non-fiction is to create a coherent tale. For a writer, there are two parts to every telling: story and plot. They are not the same thing. Plot is the structure given to the story. For example, girl meets boy. Familiar story. The plot is that girl gets a new hairdo, leaves salon, drives through traffic looking in rear-view mirror and rear-ends boy in a baby blue BMW. Love ensues. Archetypal stories, myths, and fairy tales provide a cultural pool from which to remix story structure variations, techniques, and stylistic flourishes. Shakespeare, the Bible, Greek mythology and stories in popular culture from The Wizard of Oz to the Minions. Writers need to find their story first and then figure out how best to tell it. Your job is to let the reader know what they need to know when they need to know it. Not an easy task. Some call it writing craft. Following Aristotle’s dramatic arc provides a template. Set…

It can be intimidating to think about writing your life story. Relax. Memoir isn’t your entire life story. It’s a slice of life, not birth to death. Don’t confuse memoir with autobiography. Today the only autobiographies which find publishers are those written by presidential candidates, retired statesmen, and superstars. And typically written by authors who don’t trust biographers to paint their portrait in a flattering light. The classical forms of autobiography are called apologia, oration, and confession. Apologia are written as self-justifications for one’s actions. Orations are written to document one’s literary talents in description of one’s successes. And confessions are written about racy events or radical ideas with self-criticism like Augustine and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. First-person accounts which serve to protect ego, flaunt id, or appease superego misses the mark of the memoir genre. Gore Vidal described memoir as how one remembers one’s own life experiences. It is not fiction even though the genre employs many of the same literary conventions and devices. If you want to start writing a memoir, start by closing your eyes and draw upon those crystal clear recollections from your lifespan. Moments you can’t forget. The ones that a smell can invoke. Memories jogged by the weather, or how a garment feels, or the taste of a seasonal dish. Engage your senses in the recollection. Begin here. With one snapshot moment from the past. Lisa Dale Norton calls these moments “shimmering images.” Those lucid memories that you can bring into the palm of your hand and can…

What does a book development editor do? Professionally assess your manuscript or book concept for its publishing potential Offer critical feedback and editorial guidance Serve as writing coach as the author completes a manuscript Collaborate in the development of a winning book proposal Position and package the book concept to specific publishers Research what publishers are looking for in the current market Conduct market research on target audience and how to reach your readers Identify competitive titles in the current marketplace of ideas Create a marketing strategy and assist in building an audience platform Provide guidance in the business of publishing A book development editor functions as: * An advocate for an author and his or her work * A midwife who assists with the birth of a writing project * A reminder who keeps the author on track if things begin to slip * An editor for that last push before submission * A critic who will tell authors what they need to hear in order to improve * A matchmaker who knows the exact editors for an author’s type of writing * A negotiator who will fight to get the best deal for an author * A mediator who can step in between author and publisher to fix problems * A reality check if an author gets out of sync with the real world * A liaison between the publishing community and the author * A champion for your work * A focal point for subsidiary, foreign and…