Working backwards to the apex

Sometimes the event sparks the story, but not always. Here's how to proceed.

In memoir, and sometimes also in personal essay or creative non-fiction, the story apex becomes a thing that gets lost in the shuffle, or blurred, or, “yeah, but there are so many key points I don’t know which one is central,” and, in some way becomes a source of consternation to either the writer (or their editor).

So, try this:

Identify three things: …