The Story Frame Newsletter

The Story Frame

Lessons and Inspiration to Write Your Memoir

Tags: writing

Showing 12 results:

I Have Evidence. And When They Have Kids, I'm Using It.

Before my youngest could walk, she had already figured out the door. My youngest learned to run before she could run. We always knew she was full of energy. And it was clearest whenever I was about to leave the house with her sister. She would kick very hard in her bouncy. I couldn't wait to bri...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 17, 2026 editing storytelling writing

My Uke Teacher Taught Me How to Edit My Writing

I uploaded my own voice to an app, put my baby in the stroller, and walked around Petaluma. What I heard was not good. My Ukulele Teacher Accidentally Taught Me How to Edit My Writing I have been playing ukulele for more than ten years. I am amazing — according to me. I can strum the chords, and ...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 13, 2026 editing storytelling writing

My Bones Hurt, My Kid Threw Applesauce at Me, and I'm Sitting Down to Write Because of My Mantra

"Dare to suck. Ass in chair." It is my writing mantra and has nothing to do with sex advice. It is my writing mantra, and it is a combination of two lessons I learned in two writing masterclasses. But why do I need my mantra today? My bones hurt, I have a splitting headache, and I'm pretty sure ...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 12, 2026 editing storytelling writing

I've Been Marketing Myself Wrong. Here's What I'm Actually Obsessed With

Something has changed for me recently, which is moving me closer to what I love doing, and I want your take on it. I've been marketing myself as a memoir writing coach. While I have experience writing memoirs and have done so in the past, what I am obsessed with is writing, telling, and performin...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 11, 2026 editing short stories writing

You're Writing Your Stories in the Wrong Order. Here's the Sequence That Actually Works (Plus Cheat Sheet)

Here is the structure I use for every memoir story I write. Every story has three components: beginning, middle and end. So far, you are with me, yes? Okay, like I have mentioned in the past if you have been here for a while, you know that I picked from Impromptu Speaking its structure: attention...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 10, 2026 editing productivity writing

I Chose the Lazy Option in College. It Completely Rewired How I Write

In college, I competed in something called intercollegiate forensics. Or in more normal words, speech and debate. I joined because I needed to improve my English and what better way to do it than to completely embarrase yourself speaking about politics, economics and culture. To travel with the t...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 09, 2026 editing memoir publishing writing

If You're Still Reading These Emails, You Know You Want to Join.

Six hours. That's what's left before I close registration for The Story Frame Sprint. After midnight, the door closes. The cohort is set. The sprint starts tomorrow morning at 9 am PST. If you have been on the fence all week — reading the emails, feeling the pull, finding reasons to wait — I want...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 09, 2026 editing memoir writing

Registration Closes in Hours. Four Days From Now, You'll Have a Finished Story.

The Story Frame Sprint starts tomorrow morning at 9 am PST. A few spots are still open. If you've been reading these emails all week and haven't pulled the trigger yet — this is the last real window. Registration closes tonight. Here's what the next four days look like: Day 1 — Story Frame Founda...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 08, 2026 editing memoir publishing writing

Tomorrow Is the Day You Either Start or Wait Another Year

Most people who want to write their memoir are waiting. Waiting for more time. Waiting to feel ready. Waiting for the kids to be older, the job to slow down, the calendar to open up in a way it never quite does. I understand the waiting. I did it for two decades. Here is what I know now that I di...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 08, 2026 editing memoir sharing writing

Six Years of Journals, Outlines, and False Starts. His Memoir Still Isn't Finished. Here's Why.

My writing journey took me on a detour a few years back. I became an editor for a handful of publications, including three that I co-founded with two friends. This was one of the best experiences I could've had, and I would've never sought it out. I had an opportunity to meet hundreds of writers ...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 08, 2026 editing memoir writing

I'll Be Honest With You. I Don't Like the Word Memoir

There. I said it. If you say the word memoir people think of one very specific thing. A famous person. An extraordinary life. Extreme trauma, told with enough literary distance to make it feel inaccessible to the rest of us. And that framing excludes normal people like you and me. So let me tell...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 07, 2026 editing memoir writing

The Best Stories Are Told After the Event Ends. Here's How to Write Yours.

After every storytelling circle I've ever run, the same thing happens. Someone comes up to me afterward — usually quiet during the event, usually the last one to leave — and they tell me a story. Not a polished one. Just something that spills out because the room made it feel safe enough to let i...

by Carlos Garbiras — Mar 06, 2026 editing memoir writing

1 2 3 4 5 6

The Story Frame

Lessons and Inspiration to Write Your Memoir

Tags: writing

The Story Frame

Lessons and Inspiration to Write Your Memoir

Join Our Free Trial