Deep Memoir: An Archetypal Approach to Deepen Your Story and Broaden Its Appeal

We stand at the crossroads of two remarkable eras: the golden age of memoir and the golden age of publishing. This is an exciting time for memoir readers. However, for memoir writers, it presents a formidable challenge. In a saturated market brimming with competition, how do you captivate the hearts of readers and the discerning eyes of publishers?

Cheryl Strayed, the celebrated author of the wildly successful memoir Wild , reveals a crucial secret: “The most powerful strand in memoir is . . . tapping into your universality.” You mine “your” story for “our” story, the universal inside of the unique, the archetypal inside of the personal—that’s where the gold lies.

While many books on memoir writing acknowledge this, none are dedicated to showing you precisely how to and where to tap into the universal. Until now. In Deep Memoir, author and popular memoir teacher Jennifer Leigh Selig distills decades of experience in writing, teaching, and research into nine chapters focused on the archetypes essential to memoir writing:

• The Storyteller
• Structure
• The Journey
• Character
• Truth
• Meaning
• Image
• Transformation
• Community

Deep Memoir is not just a book; it's an odyssey into the heart of memoir writing. Enriched with examples from over 140 memoirs and the stories of their creators, and enhanced by cutting-edge neuroscience about our brain's affinity and affection for archetypal patterns, this book is an indispensable companion for all memoir writers seeking to enrich their storytelling and expand their reach.