A major obstacle you may face when prodded to devote yourself to “improving your writing” as you contemplate writing a memoir is that you, as do most people, know how to write.
By “know how to write,” I don’t mean to convey people know how to compose a long-form literary work but that they know how to write shopping lists, enotes, social media posts and sometimes even letters.
Most people in the Western World know how to write—that is, to string words together in a semi-legible and semi-literate manner. Unfortunately, we use the same word for the process of composing a memoir.
But, writing a memoir calls for more than spelling and grammar. It calls for the ability, generated by discipline, to both manage one’s reactions to writing—what some people call the “inner game”—and to handle the requirements of writing’s best practices—the “outer game.”
Both are necessary to improving your writing.
Best writing practices
In this category I am presenting best writing practices of the outer game of writing.
Of course, there is clearly a factor of “inspiration” of some sort in mot successful pieces of writing, but I am wary of emphasizing inspiration, which too many people believe is the key to a successful piece of writing, as it is different from enthusiasm.
Most of us start to write with some enthusiasm. That is great. However, what will ultimately sustain your writing and make improving your writing possible, is knowledge and skill of best writing practices.
By best practices, I refer to techniques used by writers to steer and enhance reader reaction and to keep the reader reading.
In conclusion
Work on improving your writing. The posts below—as all the posts on this blog—will help you to do just that.
Find here many tips and theories about improving your craft. You will learn much to make your memoir more meaningful and more interesting.
Your memoir and your readers will thank you.
A Top Memoir Editor Gets the Job Done
Top editors commit totally to your manuscript. There is no spare-time attention with them! They ask you for your timeline and do everything in their power to meet it. In addition, they have all written and/or edited books. It’s work they’re good at. So… you can confidently expect them to edit fast and with insight. […]
Word Redundancies
As writers, words are our most-used tools. (Other important tools include punctuation, grammar, the visual aspect of a text layout.) Each of our tools, too, ought to be respected for their best use. Avoid word redundancies.
Writing About Religious Beliefs in a Memoir
Writing about religious beliefs can be a quagmire for the memoir writer. How can you write about religious beliefs without sinking your memoir? The answer that I can offer you comes down to the same old suggestion: show and don’t tell.
Why Action in Writing Is Important
Action in Writing Is Essential In writing a life story, it is important to pay attention to three aspects: action, character, and setting. These will enhance your story every time. To neglect these elements is to risk having your story fall flat. In this article, we will concentrate on action. When you use action in […]
Looking for the Right Details
I’ve been thinking again of looking for the right details to enhance your memoir. Of course, details are crucial in the what of a memoir as well as in the who, the where, and the when. They are the facts of your memoir, but there is an expanded role for details in memoir writing. Here […]
Polish Your Autobiography Easily
Is Your Autobiography Compelling? Granted everyone has stories to tell, but can ordinary people learn the skills and techniques necessary to write meaningful and interesting autobiography? Yes! Anyone who wants to can learn the tasks necessary to write a memoir to bequeath with pride to their children and grandchildren. Every step in the writing process […]
Telling the Truth About your Life
In a world where we are constantly being bombarded with subtle—and not so subtle—messages about who we ought to be, it is a bold statement to take a stand for personal truth and authenticity. One of the most transformative statements an individual can make is to tell his/her story with honesty and objectivity. At its […]
Three Tips That Will Keep You in the Memoir-Writing Conversation
Recently, someone asked me what are the biggest barriers memoir writers face to being prolific. The following three came to mind right away. Below, I write about them and offer suggestions for eliminating these impediments to staying in the writing conversation. Writers often put…
Two Tips For Conveying Theme Effectively
Underlying all of your stories is its theme. The theme is really a message, the global way in which you understand your story — either in its entirety or in its