For our 100th episode(!), Marissa chats with Nancy Balbirer about her new memoir - ALMOST ROMANCE - as well as deciding what stories from your life might connect with readers on an emotional level, therefore making them good fodder for your own memoir; how to translate real-life into an actual book that includes all the necessary elements of a good story; the importance of establishing trust with your reader and why highlighting what you don't remember can be just as powerful as highlighting what you do; understanding the gray area between truth and memory and using primary sources (i.e., friends and emails) to help you nail the details; embracing a life-long love of vocabulary and the rhythm of words; and some thoughts on dealing with criticism, even if you happen to have really thin skin.Books discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy Writer bookshop.org store (that benefits indie bookstores) at  https://bookshop.org/shop/marissameyerBooks discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy Writer bookshop.org store (that benefits indie bookstores) at https://bookshop.org/shop/marissameyer Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/