Ten Questions On Memoir Writing
(The following interview appeared in the Nov. 19, 2010, Oral History Education blog.) How did you get started in your profession of memoir writing? I started writing autobiography-based fiction. Some of these have won literary awards, and, while I like that, I feel the most satisfaction from helping readers who are stimulated to tell their […]
Three Causes of “Writer’s Block”
Many writers suffer from writer’s block, yet few understand its possible causes. Memoir writing certainly has its difficulties which can cause writer’s block. (more…)
Rework Your Story to Get More Show and Less Tell
There are ways to rework your stories so that you can minimize “telling” and maximize “showing.” The biggest “telling” offense is perhaps… (more…)
Three Tips For Using Fiction Techniques in a Memoir
We all love well-told stories. We love the entertainment, the sound effects, the punchy plot built around solid characterization. As we share stories in our everyday conversations, we inevitably use fiction techniques to keep our listeners’ attention and interest. When we say “And then she said…,” we are using dialogue – that’s a fiction technique. […]
Not Being Preachy: Four Tips
The negative underside of theme is being preachy. You are preaching when you insist that your reader endorse your theme, message or point of view. (more…)
Writing a memoir: how to
Writing a memoir is not easy. Writing a memoir requires a lot of time and energy—but you can do it. You can succeed. Many people just like you have done so already. I want to share a system with you for getting started on writing a memoir. (more…)
Writing Effective and Interesting Dialog
Dialog allows the reader to hear the voice of the character. It is an opportunity to use regionalisms and particularities of speech. Even to write in pauses if that was typical of the person. “Ain’t much wrong with it,” my grandfather would say… (more…)
6 Benefits of A Long Distance Writing Program
The Write Your First Memoir Draft program has been designed to bring you all the best of an academic external degree program. Many of us have looked into these long distance writing programs or at least have seen them advertised in writers’ magazines like Poets & Writers and the Writer’s Digest and wished we could […]
How to Organize Your Memoir: Four Ways
Do you wonder how best to organize your memoir? Eventually, after you have written awhile, you will likely have amassed a number of vignettes, story segments, and stories. You will want to organize your memoir to make a statement, a bigger picture. How will you do it? Below are four ideas for organizing your memoir. […]