Plus, let’s explore memoirs and why we enjoy sharing our personal stories with complete strangers.

I love reading memoirs and autobiographies. I’m even more a fan when the author narrates their audiobook because it’s like personal story time with famous people.

I recently read Benjamin Sledge’s fantastic memoir, Where Cowards Go To Die (affiliate link). While I didn’t listen to the audiobook, I couldn’t put Sledge’s war stories and exploration of personal growth down — I read the whole thing in three days.

Today happens to be We Love Memoirs Day (fitting, right?). So, before we get to the best of The Writing Cooperative for August, I want to know what your favorite memoirs are. Hit reply or drop them in the comments. Help me build my reading list.

Justin’s Picks for August:

I Block Readers Who Respond to the Title Without Reading the Article by Walter Rhein

My question is this: If they don’t show me the courtesy of reading my whole article, why should I show them the courtesy of reading their whole comment?

Do You Have an Inner Monologue by Kathy Hopewell

My hunch is that most wordsmiths are writing down what they ‘hear’ in their minds and that writers are highly likely to experience thinking in the form of words and sentences.

Should You Pay for Reviews? By Chandrayan Gupta

Should a free novel be enough compensation for reviewers? To be truthful, I’m not sure. I suppose it could be. But from a business perspective, if you were popular and your opinions changed opinions, wouldn’t the shrewd voice in your head eventually suggest monetizing said opinions?

Great Stories Rely on “Probable Impossibilities,” Not “Improbable Possibilities” by Niklas Göke

Whether it’s an anecdote you’re sharing, a screenplay you’re writing, or a last-minute face-saver for your boss: Make it believable, and do it the right way. The improbable rarely works. Choose the impossible if you can. See how far you can get.

Treat Your Digital Space Like a Home by Rachel M.J

As our daily lives become more intertwined with our online presence, receiving hate online can no longer be viewed as ‘harmless internet stuff’. The internet is real life now, and what you do and how you act here has very real consequences for your health, relationships, and work prospects.

That’s Right — You Were Born to Tell Stories by Rachel Irene Wilke

Your trauma, humor, childhood, perspective on tragedy, and how you handle difficult family situations, depression, anxiety, sexuality, race, addiction, grief, success, money, etc. is so needed right now in this world. You truly never know what sharing your story (in any form) can do for others.

3 Ways to Cite Your Sources Like a Pro by Jelena Kollmann

By citing others’ work, you are not only helping your reader and yourself, but you are also acknowledging the work of someone else. It’s nice to get the credit we deserve for our hard work, right? Plus, you don’t want to get stuck in a battle of copyright and plagiarism.

These Dumb Things Stop Most People from Writing Online by Tim Denning

We BS ourselves with stories or excuses or fake drama. If you followed your heart as much as you listened to those fake stories in your head, you’d already be a New York Times Bestselling author by now.

How to Become Invisible by Steven Toews, JD, MBA

Readers are real people, with real thoughts, feelings, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes. If you’re not careful, and you write something that speaks to their humanity and at their level, you may accidentally prompt some engagement with your work.

Why Every Writer Needs to Care About This Current Court Case by Melissa Gouty

If you’re reading The Writing Cooperative, you’ve obviously got an interest in the world of books, authorship, and making living with words. The current anti-trust lawsuit by the federal government will specifically impact the writing world: the diversity of books, the ability of midlist and new authors to be viable, and the size of advances, to name just a few of the obvious effects.

How to Find Your Truth in Memoir Writing by J. S. Wong

While gathering research like photo albums, yearbooks, interviews, and video clips can aid in the memoir writing process, they limit us because they only show one version of the story. Ultimately, they might not represent what you remember.

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The Best of The Writing Cooperative in August was originally published in The Writing Cooperative on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.