Listen:
I first met Kristi Coulter in a Facebook group when we were having a discussion of whether or not to write memoir in the past or present tense. Spoiler: Kristi does it in the present tense. It was such a lively discussion, that I thought I’d bring it to the podcast. Loved everything she had to say in our chat about writing her latest book: Exit Interview: The Life & Death of My Ambitious Career (now out in paperback), how she came up with the premise of her book, and structured it, and used humor throughout (she is funny, people).
In This Episode
- Picking the perfect title and a trick on how to do it
- Why Kristi wrote her book EXIT INTERVIEW using the present tense and the challenges that imposed
- Making the narrator relatable, not likable
- The art of writing a synopsis
- Incorporating humor in memoir writing and playing with forms
- Deciding what to leave in and what to take out
- How Kristi incorporated historical context into her book to make a point without preaching to the reader
- Finding the perfect equation between scene and summary
- The benefits of writing chapters out of sequence
- Understanding the meaning of that first “Discovery Draft”
- Kristi’s advice for aspiring Memoir Writers
- Selling a book on proposal. What you need to know.
- The impact Kristi’s book is having on women at Amazon and beyond
Watch on YouTube
About Kristi
Kristi Coulter is the author of EXIT INTERVIEW: THE LIFE & DEATH OF MY AMBITIOUS CAREER, out now in paperback. Her previous book, the memoir-in-essays NOTHING GOOD CAN COME FROM THIS, was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Kristi’s work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Paris Review, Elle, Longreads, and many other publications. Her Substack newsletter, Loose Canon, offers personal and irreverent commentary on film and music. She is a former resident at Ragdale and the Mineral School and has taught writing at the University of Washington, University of Michigan, Hugo House, and the Work Room. Kristi lives in Seattle and Los Angeles.
Connect with Kristi
Threads: @kristiccoulter
Podcast Guests Mentioned in This Episode
#52 Claire Dederer: A Conversation with Claire Dederer About Monsters
#101 Elissa Bassist: The Makings of a Hysterical Story Featuring Elissa Bassist
New Zoom Class Announcement:
My next Zoom class is in March (also on Thursdays) and that will be a non-fiction memoir/personal essay writing class. I think I just have 2 spots left for that one. After that, I won’t teach my private classes again until the Fall. For this class, you must have already studied with me in some form.
Connect with Estelle
Get My Book: Writing That Gets Noticed, named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers Magazine
Sign up for my Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests. Check out my post on the Editor of The Cut. And my latest called Let’s Tally Those Tantalizing Titles, where I give paid subscribers an opportunity to for me to work with them on a title.
Sign up for my Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
Follow Estelle
Buy Exit Interview on Estelle’s Bookshop
I’m in An Auction for Artists Against Antisemitism
Here’s what to do if you want to bid to win a one hour virtual consultation with me, and a copy of my book Writing That Gets Noticed. All proceeds go to Artists Against Antisemitism. Click here.
Here is episode #112: On Being Jewish Now Featuring Caroline Leavitt and Annabelle Gurwitch
I’m Quoted and Featured
- Thank you to Anna Medaris for interviewing me on ways to diversify your beat as a freelance health journalist for her article for the Association of American Healthcare Journalists. Read her terrific article here.
Listen to my episode #84 with Anna Medaris
2. Thank you to Carol Cassara for highlighting me on her fabulous blog, and suggesting people buy my book Writing That Gets Noticed as a holiday gift for their writing and writing-curious friends and relatives.
