#113 Writing with Ambition Featuring Kristi Coulter

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.   In this episode:  Picking the perfect title and a trick on how to do it [2:48] Why Kristi wrote her book using the present tense and the challenges that imposed [6:27] Deciding what to leave in and what to take out [12:42] How Kristi incorporated historical context into her book to make a point without preaching to the reader [13:41] Incorporating humor in memoir writing and playing with forms [18:34] Finding the perfect equation between scene and summary [21:42] Making the narrator relatable, not likable [23:29] Kristi’s advice for aspiring Memoir Writers [27:52] The benefits of writing chapters out of sequence [28:05] Understanding the meaning of that first “Discovery Draft” [28:28] Selling a book on proposal. What you need to know [30:56] The art of writing a synopsis [32:36] The impact Kristi’s book is having on women at Amazon and beyond [33:59]   Connect with Kristi   Instagram: https://instagram.com/kristi.c.coulter   Threads: @kristiccoulter;    Facebook:  https://facebook.com/kristicoulter   Podcast Guests Mentioned in This Episode   #52 Claire Dederer https://estelleserasmus.com/a-conversation-with-claire-dederer-about-monsters/ #101 Elissa Bassist https://estelleserasmus.com/101-the-makings-of-a-hysterical-story-featuring-elissa-bassist/ Connect with Estelle Erasmus   ​​FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at  https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.   Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest  https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals   Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html   Get Her Book  Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0   Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P   Sign up for her 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   Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus