Dreams From My Father: Read like a writer

Tips from a writer…
Woodibee: I’m a speaker, not a writer, but I’ve been told to write a short story. A memoir about my father.
Writer-in-residence: Having problems?
Woodibee: Acute writer’s block. Can’t get started.
Writer-in-residence: Did you read someone else’s memoir? Like say, oh, Barack Obama’s “Dreams From My Father.”
Woodibee: I've read it. Nice piece of work. Barack’s a great writer as well as a speaker.
Writer-in-residence: So you read it one time, to get the feeling. Then you read it for the structure. See how the wh5 is put together.
Woodibee: wh5?
Writer-in-residence: The what, where, when, who and why leading to the conclusion. That’s not everything though. It’s a like telling a joke. You can’t just tell the punchline. Unveil the story a little at a time, always keeping something back. Keep the reader in suspense.
Woodibee: Character? Dialogue?
Writer-in-residence: These are important. First know the character. Craft a voice. Then the dialogue will flow.
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Voice-over
Read like a writer. Deconstruct what you read. See the craft behind the art.