Brief #1: The Tools To Edit Your Life

Weekly Intel Archive

Room 1 • The Opening

If You're Going To Edit Your Life, You Need The Right Tools

In Issue #2, I told you: The same way you work on your memoir manuscript is the same way you work on your life. You're not just documenting events. You're editing them. Finding the arc, cutting what doesn't serve the story, amplifying what matters. But I didn't give you the how. That's what this is. The tactical tools for editing your life through 6 stages: 1. Capturing (gather raw material) 2. Developmental editing (find the arc) 3. Line editing (refine language) 4. Copy editing (fix mechanics) 5. Proofreading (polish) 6. Publication (share with world) This week: Stage 1. Capturing your story.

Room 2 • Tools of the Week

The Tools That Changed Everything

TOOL #1: Wispr Flow

Your brain moves faster than your fingers. You're driving. A memory hits. The moment your father said something that changed everything. By the time you pull over and open your notes app, it's gone. Voice-to-text that actually works. No more "Hey Siri" transcribing "memoir" as "more war." You speak. It captures. Perfectly. Use it: Morning shower (where memoir ideas happen) → Grab phone → Dump everything you remember → 5 minutes → Captured.

Try Wispr Flow →

TOOL #2: NotebookLM

But now you have 47 voice notes scattered across your phone. How do you organize them? Upload your notes, journals, voice recordings. Ask: "What are the recurring themes about my father?" It shows you patterns you couldn't see when you were in the middle of your story. Use it: Upload 6 months of journals → NotebookLM identifies 3 transformation moments you didn't know were connected → Now you have your memoir structure.

Try NotebookLM →

Room 3 • The Deep Work Tool

For Serious Writing

But here's where memoir writers get stuck: They have tools. They have material. But they don't have a thinking partner. TOOL #3: Claude Not "write this for me" (that's lazy). But "Help me think through this." Example: "I have three stories about leaving the military. Which one is the inciting incident?" Claude asks clarifying questions. Helps you see which moment actually changed your trajectory. This is developmental editing. Wispr captures. NotebookLM organizes. Claude helps you think. All three together = Your memoir writing system. Get Claude: https://claude.ai

Learn More →

Room 4 • What I'm Learning From

This Week's Content That Moved Me

Why most memoirs fail: Two reasons. Writers don't fix the negative patterns that show up when they write. And they don't know how to communicate their story once it's written. This week's podcasts teach both.

PODCAST #1: Fix Your Inner Voice

Featuring: Alain de Botton

You sit down to write. Immediately: "This isn't good enough. Who are you to tell this story?" That's not YOUR voice. It's an outer voice you internalized as a child. How people spoke TO you became how you speak to yourself. De Botton calls it "self-authorship". Sifting through the values and narratives given to you, deciding which to keep and which to ditch. What you'll learn: - Identify the outer voice (sentence completion exercises) - Expand emotional vocabulary (naming feelings gives you power) - Thank your defensive structures (they helped you survive; now upgrade them) This week's action: Do one sentence completion exercise. Write down what you discover.

PODCAST #2: Master Your Outer Voice

Featuring: Chris Voss & Jefferson Fisher

You wrote your memoir. Now you have to sell it. In discovery calls, podcast interviews, speaking gigs. But most memoir writers don't know how to communicate their story in real-time. What you'll learn: - Ditch "common ground" (when someone shares their story, don't say "me too." They'll feel you're stealing their moment) - Stay curious (you can't be angry and curious at the same time; curiosity makes you 31% smarter) - Serve your words with clarity (cut adverbs ending in "-ly." They make you sound unsure) This week's action: Practice one conversation where you stay curious instead of jumping to "me too." Notice what happens.

Room 5 • What I'm Reading

Books of the Week

You have the tools. You've done the internal work. Now you need frameworks.

BOOK #1: Story

By: Robert McKee

Your memoir isn't a diary. It's a story with structure. McKee teaches the frameworks Hollywood uses. The same ones you need to organize your lived experience into something people can't put down. Most memoir writers think their life is interesting enough on its own. It's not. Life is random. Story is structured. That's the difference between a journal entry and a book people finish. McKee breaks down story arc, character transformation, scene structure, and the conflict that drives narrative. Not for fiction writers. For anyone telling a true story. What you'll learn: Story arc, character transformation, scene structure, conflict that drives narrative. This week's action: Read the first 50 pages. Identify the "inciting incident" in your life story. The moment everything changed.

Get the book →

BOOK #2: Stories That Stick

By: Kindra Hall

McKee teaches structure. Hall teaches stickiness. How to make your story unforgettable. When you're competing for attention, your story needs to be so compelling that people remember it, share it, and act on it. Most memoir writers know their story matters. But they don't know how to make it stick in someone's mind after they close the book. Hall breaks down the four types of stories every person needs in their arsenal. Not just for your book. For your discovery calls, podcast interviews, speaking gigs, and everyday conversations. What you'll learn: - The four story types that make messages memorable - How to find your "signature story" (the one moment that captures your entire transformation) - Techniques that make stories shareable (people repeat your story to others) - How to structure stories for maximum impact in business contexts This week's action: Identify your signature story. The one moment that captures your entire transformation. Write it down in 3 paragraphs.

Get the book →

Room 6 • What's Working For Me

The Products That Keep Me Operating

PRODUCT #1: Isotonix Digestive Enzymes

Here's what nobody tells you: Writing a memoir destroys your body. You're sitting for hours. You're reliving trauma (your nervous system doesn't know the difference between remembering and experiencing). You're not sleeping. You're skipping meals. After two decades in the military, my system was wrecked. These two products keep me functional: Dairy destroys me. Certain foods throw my system off. When you're building a business, you can't afford to be bloated and foggy. This lets me digest without the aftermath. I take it daily. Especially when traveling or eating food I don't control. Why memoir writers need this: Clear gut = clear mind. You can't do deep creative work when your system is a mess. Full transparency: This is an affiliate link. I only recommend what I use daily.

Get Isotonix Digestive Enzymes →

PRODUCT #2: Isotonix Magnesium

Military threw off my sleep. Two decades on 3-4 hours. Now I'm working back to optimal rest, but falling asleep and staying asleep is still hard. Magnesium calms my nervous system. I take it before bed every night. Why memoir writers need this: Writing a memoir means reliving trauma. Your nervous system stays activated. Sleep is where your body processes stress. Full transparency: This is an affiliate link. I only recommend what I use daily.

Get Isotonix Magnesium →

Room 7 • Community Spotlight

Memoirs to Millions in Action

Let me show you what this looks like in action. Destiny Warner. Early 20s. Mono-mono twins. Eight days later, Miracle passes away. Faith survives. Most people would break. Destiny decided to write. Her book: Have Faith in the Miracle The title honors both daughters. Faith, who lives, and Miracle, who passed away. She excavated the hardest moment of her life. Found the transformation (not just the tragedy). Organized it into a narrative that helps other parents. Now she runs the Miracle-8 Foundation. A nonprofit she founded in her early 20s. The book opened doors for speaking, advocacy, and helping families facing similar loss. This is Memoirs to Millions in action: Not just documenting pain. Editing it into purpose. Learn more about Destiny's work: https://www.miracle8foundation.org/ Your turn: What's the story you're afraid to tell? That's probably the one worth writing...

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This week you got: - Tools to capture your story (Wispr Flow, NotebookLM, Claude) - Lessons on internal and external editing (de Botton, Voss) - Books to learn structure and stickiness (McKee, Hall) - Products to keep your body functional - Proof it works (Destiny) Next week: Stage 2. Developmental Editing (finding your story arc) See you Friday at 10am EST. — Asher P.S. Want to turn your story into income? Join Memoirs to Millions: https://memoirstomillions.com

P.S. Want to turn your story into income?

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The Tools To Edit Your Life