The Memoir Method Podcast

This episode is for the writer whose writing life feels hard. You know the feeling: you know you should be writing, but you don’t. Or you sit down to write but every word that comes out feels like garbage. Maybe you’ve spent so much time reading writing books, browsing Facebook writing groups, and enrolling in online courses that you’ve convinced yourself that those efforts are moving your memoir draft forward, yet the word count remains stalled. Today’s episode is going into how you might be making your writing life harder, and what you can shift today to...

This episode is for the writer who thinks that they have writer’s block. What else could it be? You’re not feeling inspired, and every time you sit down to draft, you stare at that blinking cursor until you pick up your phone and mindlessly scroll until only ten minutes are left in your writing window and you’ve barely written a paragraph. What I want to say to you today is that writer’s block isn’t your problem: your creative rhythm is. Let’s get started.

Claim your spot in our six-person M...

This episode is for the writer who is nervous to put themselves out there. I know that writing and sharing that writing are vulnerable moves to make, and I also know that putting yourself in the room is one of the most empowered moves you can make as a writer. This episode is going to give you five signs that you’re actually ready to put yourself in the room, whether that room is a writer’s group, a private container with an editor, or a guided cohort program. Let’s go!

Grab your spot i...

This episode is for the writer who is intrigued by editors, maybe has tried investing in an editor, but doesn’t know when to pull the trigger on this investment of time, energy, and money. I’ve collaborated with writers at every stage of drafting and revising, and the trick to knowing when to invest in an editor actually has nothing to do with milestones you’ve reached. Instead, I want you to look at your mindset, your energy, and your writing practice. I’ll explain all of this in today’s episode. Let’s go.

Join th...

This episode is for the writer who has been listening to the episodes this month and still isn’t sure what it actually looks like in practice to take your own writing seriously. My project this summer has been to take my own writing as seriously as I take yours, and it has been an exciting, challenging, and eye-opening season for me. I’m going to pull you behind the curtain and show you what my writing life has actually looked like the past few months. Let’s go.

Fill out the review raffle form<...

This episode is for the memoir writer who is waiting for the right editor to finally make her feel like a “real writer.” I get to be honest with you: that's not what editors are for. After years of working with memoir writers, I've learned that there are things I simply cannot do for you, no matter how good I am at my job. And understanding what those things are might be the most important thing you hear before you hire anyone. Let's go.

Fill out the review raffle form

St...

This episode is for the writer who wants to take themselves seriously and to be taken seriously by others. Today I want to point out some key faulty lines of thinking that can sneak in to your headspace: First, that if you want to take yourself seriously, you have to be taken seriously by others first. And second, we get stuck in a loop of waiting for the invitation. Publishing and creative spaces are so full of supposed gatekeepers, but we’re the ones who end up keeping ourselves out of spaces that we have every right to inhabit. To...

This episode is for the memoir writer who is wondering whether working on her memoir with real structure and support could actually move the needle. Today I’m pulling back the curtain on three breakthroughs that happened inside my most recent Memoir Method cohort: three real writers, three different moments where everything clicked. If you've been on the fence about getting serious with your memoir, this episode is going to show you what's actually possible when you find the right support. Let's go.

Save your spot on the Memoir Method waitlist — doors open in late...

This episode is for the writer who hasn’t opened up their manuscript in a few months. Maybe your summer got crazy, and you can’t even remember what you last worked on. Or maybe you got sick, navigated a family crisis, or ran into a massive creative block. For whatever reason, you haven’t opened that document in a very long time, and now the thought of doing so is overwhelming. This episode, dropping in your feed on the last day of July, will hopefully be a reset for you and remind you that you’re not actually running...

This episode is for the writer with massive imposter syndrome, who is convinced that they do not have the innate talent it takes to write a memoir. I want this episode to be a massive wakeup call to you to take yourself seriously no matter how much talent you have as a writer. We are going to look at those three puzzle pieces of the writing life that we’ve talked about in previous episodes through the lens of your actual talent. Let’s dive in!

Fill out the podcast rate and review raffle form...

This episode is for the writer who has either used AI in their drafting or has contemplated using AI to draft. AI is a polarizing topic right now, and people have big feelings. My intention for this episode is to help you understand the heart of the writing process and how using AI can cut your story and impact off at the knees. I know that AI is a tool lots of people are using right now, and I’m actually not here to pass ethical or moral judgment on it. I am, however, going to show you how ce...

This episode is for the writer who is nervous about taking their writing seriously. You want to, but you’re not quite sure what that is supposed to look like, especially because you’re not a career author or a full-time writer. My intention in this episode is to show you that if you have the desire to write a memoir, then the universe is asking you to write your memoir. Yes, this title is a little provocative, but you’ll see what I’m playing with when we get into the meat of the episode. Let’s get started.<...

This episode is for the writer who dips in and out of their writing. You’re probably not a full-time writer and your creative work is more likely to follow bursts of inspiration rather than a steady, consistent writing practice. You are a hobby writer, and for a long time this approach has probably worked for you. But if you’re here listening to this podcast episode, you’ve probably hit a wall of some kind. Call it writer’s block or something else, but that inspiration-driven writing isn’t working for you anymore, and the reason is simple: You’ve bee...

This episode is for the memoir writer who has tried every writing routine and none of them have stuck. You've done the morning pages, the word count goals, the time blocking, and somehow you're still not writing consistently. Today I'm going to tell you exactly why that is, and it's probably not what you think. Let's go.

Grab the free Writer's Block Decoder

Join The Writer's Workshop for $77 before it jumps to $222 on July 1. All three sessions of The Writer's Workshop are now available by replay.

This episode is for the memoir writer who keeps trying to fix her writing process but can't figure out why nothing is sticking. Today I'm sharing the framework I've built after years of working with memoir writers and doing my own deeply uncomfortable work as a writer: a flowing creative rhythm comes down to the alignment of three puzzle pieces. When even one is out of alignment, you feel it every time you sit down to write. Let's go.

Join The Writer's Workshop

Grab the free Writer's Block Decoder <...

This episode is for the writer who doesn’t think that they have writer’s block. I’m not talking about the writer who opens her computer and stares the blinking cursor; that’s only one manifestation of writer’s block. Today I’m diving into the pervasive and sneaky ways that writer’s block infiltrates and sabotages your creative process. Writer’s block was impacting my writing life and my actual life for far longer and far deeper than I’d realized, and today I’m bringing this reframe to you. Let’s go.

Discover what's sabo...

This episode is for the writer who thinks they’re stuck in a writer’s block. I’ve actually been trying to decode writer’s block for a long time, and any time I tried to create a resource for you, it felt surface-level and generic. But recently I had a massive breakthrough with my own writing, and now I get to bring it to you. At the end of the episode, I’ll be sharing a brand new free resource that I made so that you can crack your own writer’s blocks. Let’s go.

Brea...

This episode is for the writer who thinks that if they don’t write in a specific way, that they’ll fail. But what ends up happening is that the processes that are taught to you don’t work, because they weren’t created with your brain and your creative wiring in mind. Writing advice can be helpful, but only if you can approach these rules as tools instead. This episode was inspired by a fantastic conversation I had inside of this week’s Memoir Method workshop, and I’m bringing it to you here. Let’s get started.

This episode is for the writer who doesn’t truly feel like a writer. You feel like an imposter and you want to crawl out of your skin every time you try to say, “Oh, I’m a writer.” I have been where you are, and today is where we dig into why being a writer can feel so uncomfortable. Let’s get into it.

You can find me on Instagram @the.memoir.coach, Substack, Facebook, and YouTube.

Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on i...

This episode is for the writer who doesn’t feel like writing. I actually had a different episode planned for today, but my own life has been so topsy-turvy the past month that I knew I had to bring my real life into the episode this week. Consider this your periodical reminder that your writing life will always be a part of your regular life, and that’s okay. Let’s get into it.

Join my email list to stay up to date on the podcast and everything else going on in Charlotte Writes.

<...

This episode is for the writer whose story is juggling so many themes that you have no idea how to make it come together. (You know who you are!) You’re the writer who sees the different connections between different experiences and intuitively know that they go together, but practically you’re drowning in actually piecing it all together. First off, you’re far from the first writer to struggle with this, and second, this episode is just for you. Let’s go.

Clarify your memoir’s core message by downloading the Magnetic Memoir Prompt Pac...

This episode is for a lot of different writers: writers who are deep into that first-draft energy I like to talk about, writers who are deep into revisions and are feeling crushed under the weight of what they’ve written, and writers who don’t know how to use their writing time when they have it. Today I’m going to talk about the best emotional and mental state for memoir writing and also how to write when you’re not feeling that way. So let’s get into it.

Access this free resource, The Magnet...

This episode is for that writer who gives caveats. You know who you are. “Oh yeah, I’m writing a memoir, BUT I’m not a real writer yet.” Or, “I don’t know, I just like writing I guess. I don’t know if anyone would want to read it.” I have met with so many of you who lead like this. And I’m going to be very direct today: Stop it! Today’s episode is intended as a gentle callout to all of you listening who have a hard time taking yourself seriously as a memoir writer, because the...

This episode is for the writer who finally carved out a two-hour block to write. You have your tea, you have your candle. The door to your office is closed, and you’ve put on your noise-cancelling headphone. Then you open up your memoir document, and you brace yourself. You scroll a bit, you tweak here and there, uncertain of where to really dive in. You add a comment that says in all caps REVISIT LATER. Then, even though you promised yourself you wouldn’t, you open up Instagram—but just for that saved post, right? And then before you kn...

This episode is for the writer who is wondering what actually happens inside of a Memoir Method cohort. This winter was my first time hosting The Memoir Method as a cohort since 2024, and I’m so glad I brought it back. What might surprise you is that the best part of this program isn’t the writing that happens, and that’s what I want to get into today. Let’s go!

Start the conversation with your reader by trying my free Magnetic Memoir Prompt Pack.

Learn more about The Memo...

This episode is really for the writer who has been burned before. You’ve worked with other editors, and you feel like you’re stumbling your way through the dark. You don’t know who you can trust, and you’re terrified of, at best, wasting your time and money, and at worst, being taken advantage of. And the worst part is that you don’t even know if you can trust the people you’re working with. Today’s episode will outline a clear litmus test for evaluating editors, red and green flags to watch for, and what to do if you’r...

This episode is for the writer who wants to take themselves seriously as a memoir writer. This is not a hobby for you. It’s not something you’re ambivalent about. Regardless of where you’re falling on the frustration meter right now, you know that your story needs to be in the world, and you’re ready to do whatever it takes to write your last draft. Today’s episode is for you. Let’s go!

The Memoir Method; a cohort style eight-week writing intensive.

You can find me on Instagram...

This super short episode is a wake-up call for the memoir writer who is looking for an editor to save them, and in the process you’ve wasted hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on editors and programs. Publishing is made to look complicated, but the pipeline is more simple than people realize. So today I want to bring you behind the curtain and give you a fun, free resource that will help you know exactly what type of help your memoir needs. Let’s go!

Find out what type of editing your memoir is r...

This episode is for the writer who is feeling that overwhelm: every time you think about your memoir your chest tightens, because you’re not nearly as far along as you think you should be. I’m talking to the writer who can’t let their memoir go but who also is feeling crushed under the weight of what you’ve written. Today I want to reframe overwhelm for you, so that you can see it as a tool instead of a block. Let’s get into it.

Break the rewrite loop with instant access to...

This episode could be for two different types of writers: Maybe you’re actually a really good writer. You’re confident in your writing. You know how to turn a phrase. Or maybe you’re writing your memoir and worried about not being a good enough writer. (Most of my clients fall into one of these two camps.) So what I’m going into in today’s episode is going to ask you to examine your writing in a new way, because the truth is that just because something is well written doesn’t automatically make it interesting. Today’s episode is g...

This episode is for the writer who is overwhelmed at all the different steps of publishing and needs a guide, not just an editor. The story behind this episode comes from work I did in the earlier days of this business, and I learned a lesson that I’ve taken with me into how I support, work with, and interact with writers now. The way that I move as a memoir editor and writing coach now is a direct response to this mistake I made almost four years ago. Let’s dive in.

Join the...

This episode is for the writer who is overwhelmed whenever you look at the publishing pipeline. There are so many thresholds to cross, gates to enter, and milestones to reach that what you thought would be a marathon is more akin to a super marathon, or multiple marathons run back to back. “Published author” may feel far in the future, but I want to offer you a reframe in this episode that will revolutionize how you approach not just the publishing process but the entire drafting and editing process as well. Let’s get started.

Get...

This episode is for the writer who is grappling with imposter syndrome. It happens to the best of us, and at least for me, that imposter syndrome led to a years-long creative famine where not only did I not write a single word, I also didn’t even consider myself a writer anymore. This episode gets a little personal, but I’m sharing the surprising key that pulled me out of that spiral and got me writing again. Let’s get started.

Break the rewrite loop, instant access to this free video here

...

This episode is for the writer who has been doom-scrolling more than they’ve been writing. The headlines this month have been sobering, maddening, and frustrating. I’ve found myself at a loss for how to enact real change in areas that matter to me, and what’s come through on my end is an even greater conviction in this work. Consider this episode your invitation and call to take your story seriously in a world that feels like it’s falling apart. Let’s talk about it.

Join The Memoir Method spring cohort, we start i...

This episode is for the writer who wants to actually finish their memoir manuscript. This episode is also part of a four-part series that I’m running here on the podcast that I’m calling the 12-Month Memoir. Over the holidays I was thinking about you and what you might want heading into the new year, and what came through was a month-by-month plan for how to use your time, energy, and money as a memoir writer so that by the end of twelve months, you’ll have a finished memoir draft in hand, ready to move into publication. You ca...

This episode is for the writer who wants to actually finish their memoir manuscript. This episode is also part of a four-part series that I’m running here on the podcast that I’m calling the 12-Month Memoir. Over the holidays I was thinking about you and what you might want heading into the new year, and what came through was a month-by-month plan for how to use your time, energy, and money as a memoir writer so that by the end of twelve months, you’ll have a finished memoir draft in hand, ready to move into publication. You ca...

This episode is for the writer who wants to actually finish their memoir manuscript. This episode is also part of a four-part series that I’m running here on the podcast that I’m calling the 12-Month Memoir. Over the holidays I was thinking about you and what you might want heading into the new year, and what came through was a month-by-month plan for how to use your time, energy, and money as a memoir writer so that by the end of twelve months, you’ll have a finished memoir draft in hand, ready to move into publication. You ca...

This episode is for the writer who wants to actually finish their memoir manuscript. This episode is also part of a four-part series that I’m running here on the podcast that I’m calling the 12-Month Memoir. Over the holidays I was thinking about you and what you might want heading into the new year, and what came through was a month-by-month plan for how to use your time, energy, and money as a memoir writer so that by the end of twelve months, you’ll have a finished memoir draft in hand, ready to move into publication. Today...

This episode is for the writer who is looking back on the last year and feeling more discouraged than not when it comes to your memoir. Today I want to validate the frustrations you’re experiencing, highlight why what used to work for your writing doesn’t anymore, and show you how to reset your writing for the new year into a sustainable energy and structure. Let’s get into it.

Ready for your own breakthrough? Check out this mini-training video.

Join The Memoir Method January cohort, we begin Januar...

This episode is for the writer who wants to finish their memoir in 2026. You’ve already invested years and years into this work, and you just want to be finished with your draft. Heading into 2026, this is what I want for you: Yes, I want you to finish your memoir manuscript. I also want you to love it. The thing is that if writing your way worked, you’d have finished and published by now. So let’s talk about why this is and how to shift it going into 2026.

Join the Memoir Method Januar...