Estelle Erasmus talks with author and memoir coach Wendy Dale, creator of The Memoir Engineering System. Wendy shares her practical, seven-step approach to structuring memoirs so writers can skip trial-and-error and finish their books with confidence.
Wendy Dale is the founder of Memoir Writing for Geniuses and has spent 15 years developing a method that helps writers build their memoirs from the ground up without structural errors. She coaches both newbies and professionals, drawing on her own experience as the author of the memoir Avoiding Prison and Other Noble Vacation Goals (Three Rivers Press/Penguin Random House), and The Memoir Engineering System.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why memoir structure matters more than prose alone [3:06]
The difference between remembering your life vs. creating plot [8:17]
How to craft scenes that pull readers in (and avoid generic writing) [11:13]
The surprising truth about universality in memoir [15:50]
The role of transitions in connecting life stories [18:31]
Why subjective writing is the key to emotional resonance [24:34]
How to manage (and not get lost in) piles of existing material [26:50]
Related Episode
#131 Bonny Reichert
https://estelleserasmus.com/131-the-flavor-of-trauma-a-food-memoir-wrapped-around-a-family-story/
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/68mj_phSlwM
Connect with Wendy Dale
Website: https://www.geniusmemoirwriting.com
Reality Show Website: https://www.writeorflightshow.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/writerwendydale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/memoirwritingforgeniuses
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@memoirwritingforgeniuses
Connect with Estelle:
Webinar: Sign up for Estelle’s webinar on October 9th in collaboration with Writer’s Digest
Mapping Your Memoir: How to Find the Heart and Shape of Your Story
https://writersdigestuniversity.mykajabi.com/mapping-your-memoir
🎤 TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond
Estelle blends personal storytelling with actionable strategies for standing out—starting with a chaotic moment involving Thomas the Tank Engine.
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About Estelle:
Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, author of Writing That Gets Noticed (named a “Best Book for Writers” by Poets & Writers), and host of Freelance Writing Direct—2025 Podcast of the Year (Education), American Writing Awards. A Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest and adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP: The Magazine. She’s served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines.
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Latest posts: “When Writers Are the Ones Blocking the Page: 6 Ways to Move Forward (and An Offer); Stop Counting Your Words. Start Shaping Your Story” and “How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen”
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