How to Write a Memoir When You Aren’t the Main Character

By Marcia Heath

A few years ago, I set out to write a biography about a couple of genius surfer dudes living a dream life in the Caribbean. It was a curious choice that mystified both my friends and me, a recovering executive and non-surfer in Maine. Why was I drawn to the story of Bula, a little giant of a surf shop in Aruba? All I really knew was that I was 100 percent unfulfilled and desperate to write a book, something I’d attempted many times before. Like many writers in waiting, I’d ...