How do you know the difference between a banger journal entry and the foundation of a memoir? If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, then this conversation is for you. Tucker is a memoir guru, having sold 5 million copies of his own memoir (“I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell”) and millions more of ghostwritten memoirs (for names like Tiffany Haddish and David Goggins). All of Tucker’s expertise can be dwindled down to three words: tell the truth. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. In this episode, you’ll learn everything it takes to write a bestselling memoir: how to tell a great story, how to infuse your work with humor, how to turn your suffering into art, and how to make sure you’re ready to write a memoir in the first place. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to tell the unencumbered truth — the right way. TIME STAMPS: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:26 Why Tucker Writes Memoirs 00:03:37 Memoir Writing as Therapy 00:08:49 Writing Celebrity Memoirs 00:11:30 The Two Kinds of Memoirs 00:14:22 Write a Slice of Your Life Story 00:16:51 Focus, focus, focus 00:20:13 The janitor’s crazy life story 00:22:29 What makes writing funny? 00:26:53 Why some memoirs are bad 00:30:03 Write from your scars, not your wounds 00:33:29 Should you keep a journal? 00:37:54 Anne Frank’s diary 00:41:38 Tucker’s memoir-writing algorithm 00:50:55 What to do when you’re in tears 00:56:01 Writing dialogue 1:00:06 Truth vs. fact vs. fiction 1:01:59 Should you try to be original? 1:04:42 How to title your memoir 1:07:22 Audiobooks for memoirs 1:09:26 David Goggins’ audiobook 1:11:54 Tucker’s #1 rule of memoir writing 1:13:40 How to build a writing habit 1:24:11 Writing your 1st draft 1:25:12 How to write about emotions 1:29:52 Writing an introduction 1:31:44 How to begin a memoir PODCAST LINKS: Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv ABOUT THE HOST: I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible.