What makes for a truly great memoir?

In this episode, we sit down with Ariel, co-author of Hungry Authors and a veteran editor specializing in nonfiction. While many writers approach their life stories with pure "soul," Ariel argues that a great memoir requires a rigorous "science"—a structural logic that delivers a powerful transformation.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Architecture of a Great Book: Why the "underlying logic" of your book is just as important as your prose itself.
• Memoir vs. Autobiography: The critical distinction that most first-time authors miss.
• Transformation as the Core: How to map the internal and external shifts that keep a reader turning pages.
• Polarity Shifts: Using "micro-transformations" to build momentum in every chapter.

Ariel Curry is a senior editor for nonfiction at Sourcebooks. She lives in Chattanooga, TN, with her husband and three beautiful children. You can find her at hungryauthors.com or on Substack.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Hungry Authors by Liz Morrow and Ariel Curry
• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Everything Happens for a Reason (And Other Lies I’ve Loved) by Kate Bowler
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• Story Grid by Shawn Coyne
• Grayson by Lynn Cox
• In Love by Amy Bloom
• I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen: And Other Lies I Think Will Make Me Happy by Kate Strickler
• What We Carry (there’s also a link to download a discussion guide, but careful—it contains spoilers!)
• The Hero’s Journey
• All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

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