To help you to get a fast start writing and to write your memoirs more prolifically–and even bring them to a finish in the form of a published memoir–I offer these eight suggestions. They are tried and true tips that bear repeating and repeating.
Author Archive | Denis Ledoux
Writing Process Steps–Linger With Your Story
One of the writing process steps is to linger with your story. Many, and perhaps most, people write too fast. I don’t mean that they end up with a text characterized by sloppy grammar, spelling problems and chronology issues—although that may be the case, of course.
No, what I mean is that they push through the process of writing their stories much too quickly. They end up with only a part of the story they could have written had they lingered. [Free Membership required to read more. See below. ]
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How Is Learning to Write Memoir Like Learning to Swim?
When learning to write memoir, it can feel awkward and uncomfortable as you learn the process, just like learning to swim. We often see people who are not comfortable swimming flail about in the water, their heads reaching up high, desperately, to catch a breath of air. This awkward gesture soon tires them. Try as they might there is not enough air for them as they constrict their ribs, twist their heads, contort their jaws. Soon enough, considering that they had set out to enjoy the water, these people quit and return to the shore. Swimming is over for the day. [Free Membership required to read more. See below. ]
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What Is Developmental Editing?
Every memoir, during its preparation stage, needs to have these three functions filled by an appropriate professional. No book ought to go out into the world without having these three tasks implemented. Developmental editing is somewhat different. It has to do, as the name implies, with developing a manuscript to its full potential, and a […]
The First Paragraph Can Make or Break a Memoir for the Reader
Writers sometimes struggle with how to begin a story and will not write the story until they have the beginning—the first paragraph.
This is not a good way to proceed.
The first paragraph of a memoir sets the tone.
The first paragraph creates the tone and often presents imagery that will shape the reader’s appreciation of your story—whether a vignette or a full memoir.
In a short story I wrote many years ago, I did not compose the first paragraph until I had written the whole story. Frankly, I was stumped and did not know how to begin the story, how to launch the reader.
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Why You Should Not Nickel and Dime When Hiring a Ghostwriter
If you are hiring a ghostwriter, of course, you are concerned with how much it will cost to have your memoir written. Here are some guidelines… What if you had a few useful guidelines to help you determine if the costs you are being asked to pay are in line with current rates? Well, you […]
Help to Write My Memoir: Here’s What a Top Editor Does for You
What a top editor does for you. People often ask, “What sort of input does an editing client receive from her/his Memoir Network editor?” The answer, of course, varies according to the client. No two receive the same response. We always individualize. You persist in asking, “Yes, yes, but what sort of manuscript input can […]
Write Regularly for Great Results
Success is built on daily habits. Write regularly every day for a year or two and before you know it you have a book. How do you find the time?
The Best Memoir Writing Coach: How to Choose the Right One
Your relationship to your memoir-writing coach is likely to be a long one. There is no other way to make it effective. Coaching is like counseling in a way. Counseling requires an introductory, getting-to-know-you phase before both of you can move on to a productive phase. You can’t expect a counselor to help you with […]
Franco-American History and The Lachine Massacre
In the evening of August 4, 1689, the night of the Lachine massacre, a violent rainstorm hovered above the Saint Lawrence and the Island of Montréal. Lightning flashed repeatedly across the sky and deafening thunder resounded above the seventy-seven houses of the community of Lachine. As the Canadiens slept in their isolated farms, fifteen hundred […]