Cecilia Lyra

MEMOIR: exists at the intersection of fic and nonfic, i.e., good memoir reads like a novel. (See reviews of your fave memoir and be surprised at how many ppl didn’t know it was a real story!) I welcome both proposals with sample chapters or full manuscripts from memoirists.

I consider memoirs to be a blend of fiction and nonfiction. AFTERSHOCKS by Nadia Owusu, WILD GAME by Adrienne Brodeur, and MY BROKEN LANGUAGE by Quiara Alegría Hudes are my all-time favorites. A good memoir reads like a novel and is packed with conflict, tension, and stakes.

Think Pauline Harmange and Blythe Roberson but — truth be told — all formats, genres, and tones welcome!
#MSWL #WritingCommunity

AFTERSHOCKS by @NadiaOwusu1 is officially my favorite memoir ever— #amquerying writers this is the perfect example of how to share stories with specificity, vulnerability, and, of course, beautiful writing. And I love the world history woven into the protagonist's journey. #MSWL

For memoir, LONG LIVE THE TRIBE OF FATHERLESS GIRLS by T. Kira Madden blew me away, and two all-time favorites are EDUCATED by @tarawestover and WILD GAME by @adriennebrodeur

I also adore memoirs — please see my fiction guidelines for these stories because (a) I’m drawn to the same themes in novels as I am in memoirs; and (b) a good memoir reads like a novel.

Has anyone read this? It's SO good! #WritingCommunity #mswl 😍