Marcia, Marcia, Marcia

Her Memoir Tells The Story

“You’re ruining your life,” the director snapped.

Maureen McCormick was twenty-something, hungover, and blowing yet another audition. A few years earlier, she’d been America’s golden girl—Marcia Brady, with the perfect hair, the perfect smile, and the perfectly choreographed life. Now, she was showing up late, forgetting lines, and self-sabotaging roles that could have saved her career.

“I hated myself,” she later wrote. “I hated the lies, the addiction, the weight of pretending to be someone I wasn’t.”

After The Brady Bunch ended, the real Maureen unraveled—hard. She spiraled into drug addiction, eating disorders, and toxic relationships. The contrast between her wholesome TV image and her actual life nearly destroyed her.

But she didn’t stay there.

What followed was years of rehab, faith, and forgiveness—including learning to love the part of her that never got to be anything but “Marcia.” 

Her memoir, Here’s the Story, doesn’t read like a comeback—it reads like a resurrection.

That’s what makes it unforgettable.

She didn’t just survive her fall. She told the truth about it. And in doing so, she gave readers something far more powerful than nostalgia: permission to shed the masks and start over.

Maureen's memoir followed one of the oldest and most powerful story templates in existence: Overcoming the Monster.

Christopher Booker’s theory—based on 34 years of research—argues that every compelling story ever told fits into seven timeless plot types:

1. Overcoming the Monster
2. Rags to Riches
3. The Quest
4. Voyage and Return
5. Comedy
6. Tragedy
7. Rebirth

You know what I find fascinating? These plots work beautifully for nonfiction. In fact, many bestselling memoirs and personal development books follow them without even realizing it.

You might be thinking, “Isn’t The Seven Basic Plots for fiction writers?”

It is—but that’s exactly the point. Readers love well-constructed stories. Regardless if it's a novel, a memoir, or a book about reinventing themselves at 60, they want to feel the momentum of a story unfolding with a predictable ending.

Whether it’s a memoir, business book, spiritual journey, or how-to guide, every compelling nonfiction book mirrors one of the seven classic plots. 

These structures have been around since forever and still show up from TED Talks to Netflix documentaries.

So… what’s your nonfiction plot?

Let's go!

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You've Heard This Story Before

In last week’s Power Writers Report, I applied Booker’s theory to writing in general. Today, we’re applying it to nonfiction writing. 

Here are the seven universal stories...

1. Overcoming the Monster 

This is the classic David vs. Goliath tale. In nonfiction, it’s the cancer diagnosis, the corrupt industry, the toxic workplace, or the inner demons. You—the author—are the protagonist facing an overwhelming adversary.

Perfect for: Memoirs, advocacy books, exposés.

Nonfiction Example: Erin Brokovich is a movie, not a book, but it’s the first story that comes to mind. Erin’s character, played by Julia Roberts, takes on a utilities company that is contaminating the groundwater in a community. Despite lacking any formal legal training, she ultimately wins a $333 million lawsuit. What a great story!!

Pro Tip: Clearly define the “monster,” and track how you learned, grew, and ultimately defeated (or escaped) it.

2. Rags to Riches 

This isn’t just about money. It’s about evolving from obscurity, failure, or mediocrity into influence, clarity, or freedom. The hero rises—and so can your reader.

Perfect for: Business books, inspirational memoirs, personal development.

Nonfiction Example: Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. Regardless of your politics, you can’t ignore Vance’s inspirational journey through a very broken family to the U.S. Marine Corps, Yale Law School, and beyond. 

Pro Tip: Readers need to see the before, feel the struggle, and experience the change with you.

3. The Quest

This is the journey story. You set out to find something—truth, enlightenment, mastery, healing—and what you discover changes you and those around you.

Perfect for: Travel memoirs, spiritual journeys, scientific discoveries, creative odysseys.

Nonfiction Example: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. I know, I know, I keep discussing his memoir, but it was SO GOOD! McConaughey overcame an abusive father, but he also got stuck being typecast in romantic comedies. Trying to break out of his role, he moved into a camper and wandered around the country, waiting until the right role emerged. It finally did and his career hit overdrive.

Pro Tip: Make sure the reader always knows what you’re searching for—even if the goal evolves over time.

4. Voyage and Return

This is the “I entered a strange world and survived” story. The hero travels into the unfamiliar, encounters trials, and returns transformed. Unlike the Quest, the hero often stumbles into the journey by accident.

Perfect for: Cross-cultural memoirs, undercover journalism, personal epiphanies.

Nonfiction Example: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Frankl’s imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps leads to a powerful philosophical return: that meaning—not happiness—is what makes life worth living.

WHAT. A. CLASSIC!!

Pro Tip: Use vivid contrasts between the “before,” “during,” and “after” to show emotional transformation.

5. Comedy 

No, this doesn’t mean you have to write like a stand-up comic. Comedy in Booker’s world means misunderstandings, confusion, mistaken identities—and eventual resolution.

Perfect for: Family memoirs, workplace culture books, recovery narratives.

Nonfiction Example: Bossypants by Tina Fey. From awkward childhood to her shining moments on Saturday Night Live, Fey’s memoir is a sharp, hilarious take on growing up, navigating male-dominated comedy, and figuring out life on her terms.

Pro Tip: If you're book is too negative, readers will stop reading—so use humor to make the hard truths digestible. 

6. Tragedy

Yes, tragedy has a place in nonfiction. Especially if the point is to warn, reflect, or provoke change. Not all stories resolve with a happy ending—but they must still offer meaning.

Perfect for: Historical accounts, cautionary tales, memoirs of loss.

Nonfiction Example: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. I could not put this book down. A former child star’s harrowing account of emotional abuse, an eating disorder, and public performance—told with stark, startling honesty. The tragedy here is the suppression of her identity, and her mom was the antagonist.

Tip: Readers must sense the inevitability of the fall and the larger purpose it serves.

7. Rebirth

This plot focuses on transformation—but unlike Rags to Riches, Rebirth involves awakening. The protagonist is stuck, hardened, or lost—until something (or someone) wakes them up.

Perfect for: Recovery memoirs, spiritual awakenings, major life pivots.

Nonfiction Example: Here’s the Story by Maureen McCormick. I just finished reading this book a couple of months ago. After her stint as Marcia on the Brady Bunch, McCormick struggled with being typecast which propelled her into a life of drug abuse, eating disorders, sabotaged auditions, and toxic relationships. Her painful story of rebirth is beautiful.

Tip: Your “aha” moment must feel earned. Readers need to feel the weight of your former self—and the release of rebirth.

Wait… Isn’t My Book Just “Facts”?

Sure. But if your reader wanted just facts, they’d read a Wikipedia page or a government report. What they want is meaning.

READ. THAT. AGAIN!

Every compelling story is the delivery system of transformation. Whether you're guiding a reader through grief, leadership, health, or history, a clear emotional and narrative arc gives them a reason to keep turning pages—and to apply your wisdom to their own life.

So ask yourself:

• What’s the monster I faced?
• What did I search for?
• What part of me had to die and be reborn?

Most importantly—which of Booker’s plots does my story actually follow?

You don’t have to fit it perfectly into one category. But if you pick one as your spine, your nonfiction will feel tighter, more compelling, and far more publishable.

Ready to Find Your Plot?

Let’s talk about the real-life drama in your story—and how to shape it into a book readers can't put down. 

You’ve lived the story. Now let’s give it the structure it deserves. Schedule a one-on-one publishing consultation with me here:
 

Here are two more happy Illumify authors whose books we recently released...

Robert Shade spent most of his career teaching in a seminary in Japan. During that time, a publisher published his commentary on the biblical book of Acts. His original release focused on the Asian people. After he retired, he acquired the rights to his book and then reworked the text to give it a global perspective.

Recently, we re-published his work, Acts: A Commentary with a Global Perspective. We'd never released a commentary, so this was a challenging project. But I'm so happy with the end-product!   

Congratulations, Robert, on a job well done.!

True story: I first met Henry "Corky" Kyle in a pipe and cigar shop in 2019. We talked about books, I gave him my business card—and five years later we published his book. 

Corky is a lobbyist in downtown Denver and he knows EVERYONE. Hardball Advocacy is the culmination of his career, and one of the only books in the country that shows you how to become a lobbyist. His book cover is magnificent!

Congratulations, Corky!

Let’s bring your book to life!