How to Write a Significant Memoir
That our memoir is insignificant is about the last thing we memoir writers ever want to read about our magnum opus. How do we write a significant memoir? What separates a significant memoir from an insignificant one? I’ll give you a hint: it’s not fame it’s not the scope of the arena of the action. […]
How Memoir Coaching or Editing Works
There’s often only a permeable line between coaching and editing. In practice, as I work with a writer, I find myself slipping from coaching to editing and back. That’s how close coaching and editing really are. Depending on the state of your manuscript, coaching or editing or both are called for. (more…)
Do not waffle in telling the truth
Certainly, the memoir writer has permission “not to waffle,” but there is more that is incumbent on the writer. S/he has the obligation not to waffle. As memoir writers, “not to waffle” means to tell our truth about what happened. This is a must. Over the years, I have been amazed at how I can […]
How Long Should It Take to Write a Memoir? Set a Deadline!
Have you ever wondered, “How long should it take to write a memoir?” At The Memoir Network, we have come up with a timeline that is realistic for any writer who wishes to write a memoir that doesn’t get stuck in endless rewriting. (more…)
Memoir Versus Fiction, or Is Memoir Fiction?
Is memoir fiction? I emphatically don’t agree that memoir is fiction. Although a memoir invariably uses fiction techniques—and we will look at one in this post it must be an as-much-as-possible true accounting of an experience. (more…)
Is Theme in a Memoir The Driving Force?
How important is theme in a memoir? Theme in a memoir is absolutely important! Here’s is a distinction between a family-focused autobiography and a memoir that, I hope, will help you to appreciate the value and the role of theme in a memoir. (more…)
Word Usage
Every once in a while, I send you some of my verbal pet peeves. Here are a few other unfortunate phrases that have come my way recently. 1. Amazon just today was offering me a “free gift.” (more…)
Don’t Wait: Continue to Write Your Memoir Today
What if you ran out of tomorrows before you had written your memoir? How would your children and grandchildren know about you and the people who were important to you? How would your community know? (more…)
Hemingway’s “One True Sentence” Can Save Your Memoir
A “one true sentence” can save your memoir. I have found the “one true sentence” effective in focusing both my own memoir writing and in the writing of people I have coached and edited. (more…)