Why we write about ourselves

"Everything an aspiring memoirist needs to know, in one readable volume, a follow-up to the acclaimed writers' handbook Why We Write For the many amateurs and professionals who write about themselves--bloggers, journal-keepers, aspiring essayists, and memoirists--this book offers inspiration, encouragement, and pithy, practical advice. Twenty of America's bestselling memoirists share their innermost thoughts and hard-earned tips with veteran author Meredith Maran, revealing what drives them to tell their personal stories, and the nuts and bolts of how they do it. Speaking frankly about issues ranging from turning oneself into an authentic, compelling character to exposing hard truths, these successful authors disclose what keeps them going, what gets in their way, and what they love most--and least--about writing about themselves"-- "What moves memoirists to make their most personal stories public? In Why We Write About Ourselves, twenty of America's most successful memoirists answer this question -- and share the nuts and bolts of how they do it. Exploring such issues as the reliability of memory, the ethics of disclosure, and how to protect others' privacy without self-censoring, these bestselling memoirists reveal what keeps them going during the tough times and what they love most -- and least -- about revealing themselves in print"--

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.