Hi Reader,
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Thank you for registering for Introduction to the Mini-Memoir Method, an introduction to our four-week course that begins June 9th.

Enroll by May 30th for the early-bird discount. Start reading the class materials and watching bonus pre-recorded videos as soon as you join.

The community is open June 2 through July 7 to give you a chance to connect with us and other writers in the group.

It was a joy to spend this time with you this morning. Here's the replay and other links we promised.

• Visit this link for more info and to enroll in The Mini Memoir Method
  June 9, 16, 23, 30 | Community is open June 2 - July 7
• Watch the replay on YouTube​
• Review the Slides​
• Read the example story: My Mother Returns to 1985 by Laurie Rachkus Uttich​

We had a lively discussion after the presentation and wanted to share the highlights with you.

Your questions — answered

Jolene: I've been working on a story for 10 years and writing short on Substack. Does that help?

Yes — absolutely. Writing short on Substack helps you break through, figure out which stories you're compelled to tell, and test them with real readers. If you've hit a nerve with readers and feel a little fear yourself — that's the story worth telling. You're also building your author platform and readying readers for your book. Keep going!

Fenton: I have hundreds of stories. How do I choose?

This is one of the most common places writers get stuck — not too little material, but too much. The Mini-Memoir Method is designed exactly for this. You don't have to write everything. You find the one story that's calling to you right now, and you start there. That's your door in. The rest will follow, story by story.

Kali: I'm in my early 30s and I feel like you only get one memoir — and that holds me back.

Autobiography is the story of your life but memoirs are slices of your life. Dervla Murphy wrote 26 travel memoirs over 50 years — she was still travelling and writing in her 70s. Bill Bryson has written over a dozen, each a different journey on a different continent. Mary Karr wrote three covering different decades of her life. Frank McCourt didn't publish his first until he was 66, then wrote three. You may have three or four memoirs in you right now — different chapters, different lenses, different stories. You're not using up your one shot. You're just getting started.

Jill: Have you waited for someone to cross over before writing about them?

Yes — and it's a completely valid choice. You can write privately in the meantime, developing your story so it's ready when the time feels right. The writing doesn't have to wait even if the publishing does.

Ron: What about fiction versus auto-fiction?

The Mini-Memoir Method works for any kind of short story — memoir, auto-fiction, fiction. Sometimes it's hard to write about people who are still alive, and moving into auto-fiction is a completely valid way to write about them while still telling your truth.

Tracy: Would a mini-memoir fit in a mosaic memoir?

Mosaic memoir is a fascinating and growing trend. A mosaic memoir is built from standalone fragments — scenes, reflections, images — that circle a theme rather than follow a chronological arc. Untamed by Glennon Doyle is a well-known example. And yes — mini-memoirs are perfect building blocks for one. We go deeper on different memoir forms, including mosaic memoir, in the four-week course.

Patricia: Would it be effective to publish nonfiction mini-books before publishing a larger memoir?

Absolutely. Short stories, novellas, mini books — all viable. Writing and publishing short first lets you test your material, build an audience, and publish. If you need to clarify the shape of your larger work before you commit to the full manuscript, that works, too. Not to mention building your author platform and finding readers eager for your next books.

Tania: I have a full book written but unpublished — should I put those stories on Substack, or write about similar themes instead?

Generally, writing about similar themes rather than reproducing the exact stories protects your first publication rights — which matters whether you're pursuing a traditional publisher or planning to self-publish. A publisher will want to know your work hasn't already appeared elsewhere, while self-publishing gives you more flexibility but still rewards building an audience first. There's real nuance here depending on your path — we cover exactly this in week four, when we talk about where and how to publish, and help you think through which route makes sense for your work.

And from the chat — a few moments we want to hold onto:

Cindy wrote: "Just got word that my debut memoir was declined by the first publisher I tried. Oh, well. I'll keep trying."

That is the writer's spirit. Keep going, Cindy.

Amari wrote: "I shed so much fear and uncertainty and finally started to live my life authentically."

That's exactly why we write memoir.

And Leslie realized mid-session: "I just now realized that was the moment I became a mother."

That is a mini-memoir finding its writer in real time.

A few things we want you to take away

We are walking history books. Every story matters — yours will educate and inspire people you haven't even met yet.

A memory by itself isn't a story. The things we write in our journals are deeply personal — but they need to be shaped into scenes, given a narrator, and brought to a resolution before they become stories that move a reader.

Writing short is how you find your most powerful stories, test them with real readers, and build toward the book — while sharing your work now, not years from now.

Community matters. Sometimes you need to talk about a story before you can write it. That's built into the course.

Ready to go deeper?

The Mini-Memoir Method
​June 9, 16, 23, 30
Community access June 2 - July 7
9 AM PT / 12 PM ET
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As soon as you register you'll be able to dive into the many lessons and examples we've provided to help illustrate various writing techniques, plots, themes, and structure.

The community kicks in a week ahead of the first class session with introductions, reading suggestions, and resources. We like to keep the community open and active for at least a week after the live sessions end, to give you a chance to wrap up your stories and connect with others in the class to make writing and accountability partners.

In the four live 90-minute sessions, we'll go deep on finding your story, shaping the arc, finding your voice, and getting it published — on Substack, in literary journals, in anthologies, or as the foundation of a larger memoir.

How to Get the Early Bird Discount

Early-bird pricing — $347 with code 50OFF — ends this Saturday May 30. After that it's $397.

See you in June!

Carla & Linda Joy

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PS: If you had a question and we didn't get to you in time, or need help checking out, or anything else, please reply to this email. I'm happy to help!