Maybe Your Manuscript Needs to be Reframed

Here's five of my favorite craft books that will enhance the way you see your story.

Writing a memoir is about discovering the meaning behind a series of events in your life. It’s more than just recounting what happened. But writing a memoir takes years of drafting and growing, and through that time and growth, well, it’s likely you will have different feelings and reflections about your story by the time you finally feel finished with your manuscript.

That’s where reframing enters throughout the editing process.

Reframing your memoir will require you to shift your perspective. It could be a structural overhaul, a new thematic lens, a change in tone, or even altering who you're writing for. Reframing doesn’t mean starting over, it’s more about seeing your work anew, with fresh eyes and a sharper sense of purpose.

For years, a watercolor painting of dogwood flowers has hung on my wall, quiet and lovely. Rendered in soft blush and cream, the petals floated against a pale wash of spring green. It was a birthday gift from my closest friend, painted by another dear friend and local artist Kathy Plata. It arrived framed simply, in matte black. At the time, that stark border felt right. The painting felt clean, timeless, minimal.

But something shifted.

It wasn’t that I fell out of love with the painting. If anything, I saw more in it. The way the brush caught the edges of the petals. The hint of fragility in their bend. The bloom as both a beginning and an ending. I realized the black frame, once modern and understated, now felt too heavy. Like it was containing something that wanted to expand.

So I reframed it in gilded gold.

Suddenly, the whole piece changed. The flowers glowed. The gold didn’t distract; it revealed. It honored the lightness of the work, gave it warmth and breath. It reminded me that the right frame doesn’t just surround art, it speaks to it. It elevates the truth already there.

Reframing doesn’t mean discarding. It means asking: What happens if I see this again, but differently? What if I choose to see the beauty as worthy of more?

Sometimes, in art and in life, we outgrow the container we once thought was enough. And the simple act of choosing another, more generous, more radiant, can change everything.

Here are five craft books (most of which I read during my MFA, for all you DIY MFA’ers) that can help you do just that:

1. "The Art of Time in Memoir" by Sven Birkerts

Why it's helpful: Birkerts explores how time functions in memoir, not just as chronology, but as a layered, reflective force. He distinguishes between “narrated time” (what happened) and “narrating time” (the writer now, looking back), helping you think critically about when and how your voice shifts throughout the manuscript.

Reframe angle: Use time as a thematic structure, not just a linear map. Ask: What does hindsight make possible?

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2. "The Situation and the Story" by Vivian Gornick

Why it's helpful: Gornick's central concept is every memoir has both a situation (what happens) and a story (what it means), which is a powerful lens for revision. If you’ve gotten lost in the details, this book will bring you back to the deeper pulse of your narrative.

Reframe angle: Clarify your narrative persona. Who is telling this story, and why now?

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3. "Body Work" by Melissa Febos

Why it's helpful: Febos challenges the myth that personal writing is self-indulgent. She writes with clarity about the emotional, political, and artistic stakes of memoir. Her essays will help you dig deeper and revise with greater courage.

Reframe angle: Even if it feels murky, center your emotional truth. Ask: Where am I pulling back, and why?

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4. "The Memoir Project" by Marion Roach Smith

Why it's helpful: This concise, no-nonsense guide strips memoir down to its essentials. Roach Smith emphasizes writing with purpose, avoiding “navel-gazing,” and staying focused on your memoir’s takeaway for the reader. BONUS: I have taken all of her memoir writing courses, prior to my MFA, and the one-on-one attention she provides is invaluable.

Reframe angle: Reassess your structure and focus. Is every scene in service of your point?

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5. "Meander, Spiral, Explode" by Jane Alison

Why it's helpful: If your memoir feels stuck in traditional form, Alison offers a welcome shake-up. She explores alternative narrative shapes such as spirals, waves, and fractals to help you rethink how storylines evolve and echo.

Reframe angle: Break the linear mold. What if your story isn’t a straight line, but a pattern?

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Final Thought

I’m currently in the re-framing process of my own debut memoir. Late last year, multiple drafts in, the plot suddenly changed, which left me questioning a lot of my earlier writing. I discovered new things. I knew more than I did when the memoir originally took shape. Also, my perspective of my home town shifted. Yes, Baltimore is a gritty concrete jungle that took everything from me and I have many reasons to hate it. That is the frame of mind I wrote in. But place, and home isn’t that simple, there’s a lot about Baltimore that I miss, and that I continue to go back for. I’d be doing my story a disservice if I didn’t also show readers the soft magic of the shoreline that bears endless beauty.

Reframing isn’t failure, it’s part of the process of craft. It’s what turns raw life into meaningful art. If your memoir feels stalled, these books can be the creative jolt you need to re-enter the work with curiosity, flexibility, and vision.

The best stories aren't always the ones we first set out to tell, they're the ones we learn how to tell better.

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