Memoir writer ask, “How can I write more efficiently?”

In a previous post, I had developed the concept of writing on a deadline. In this post I will stay with the concept of writing close to the finish.

Yes, writing is a process but…

While I continue to believe that writing ought to be open-ended and that you ought to remain in the process of discovering your theme and subject rather than opt for a too-quick closure (“This is what my story means”), I also believe in something that is a bit contradictory to this.

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Is it possible to write more efficiently?

Too many writers (I have been among them) allow the book-writing process to go on and on. We lack efficiency which is a practice and, like all practices, it is possible to learn to write more efficiently. There are many ways to learn to write more efficiently but I want to propose only one way here.

As we probably all have done, we can clean a living space up rather well in a few hours if we learn that we have unexpected company arriving soon. It’s not the best clean up we’ve ever done, but it also didn’t take a week of clearing our schedules and doing nothing else.

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Finishing a memoir is not easy. Over the years, I’ve noticed that a lot of people who seek us out at The Memoir Network are not beginners at memoir writing. Many have already composed 5, 10, 15 or more stories or vignettes. These writers have been working on their memoir for a significant length of time but they are spinning their wheels. They are not moving forward and seem to have gotten off what once seemed like a clear path to finishing their memoirs. They are writing a few stand-alone pieces, which is not a bad goal to have really, (more…)

Again this week I’m offering something a little different — this post offers you a link to a podcast. Kansas City-based Amy Woods Butler speaks to Denis Ledoux of the Memoir Network on How to Grow Business as a Memoir Professional. Click here to listen. “Denis started as a writer of autobiographical fictional. When he shared his stories with audiences, it struck a chord, and the Turning Memories into Memoirs workshop was born…” (more…)

Is there a problem with writing prompts? This is my issue with writing prompts: they tend to lead to isolated stories, stories that are searching for humor, searching to be shared with a group that is perhaps looking for entertainment. They are not, by and large, searching for meaning lost in the morass of your memory, for a mythic god who has thwarted you all this time, for the contact lens that is lost in the grasses of your psyche. No… The problem with writing prompts is they lead to stories that can so easily miss the energy of a (more…)

In this post, you will learn the many benefits of a regular writing practice.

Many people set off to write their memoirs with considerable enthusiasm. It’s a new project and it’s full of energy. This is going to be the greatest memoir the world has ever known!

How long can that last? Enthusiasm takes you only so far. Over the months and years it takes to complete a manuscript, the initial enthusiasm wanes and the memoir project that had seemed so interesting at its onset now begins to bore the writer. We begin to hear about the writer “trying to write a memoir.” Unless the writer changes attitude, the memoir will soon be abandoned.

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The difference between a memoir and an autobiography can be rather minimal—or fairly large.

“So what is the difference between a memoir and an autobiography?” you may persist in asking as so many people do. Perhaps they are masking their diffidence about writing, wanting to “get it right.”

Practically speaking, for most people, there is no difference between a memoir and an autobiography. In common speech, the terms are interchangeable.

People say, “I’m writing an autobiography” or, “I’m writing a memoir.” (It’s the word memoir that has grown not the word autobiography that has shrunk.)

But, technically (or perhaps in the historical meaning of the two words), there is a difference between a memoir and an autobiography.

Two definitions

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Your photos tell stories. Did you store away a slew of photos in shoe boxes over the years—and more recently created huge photo files in your computer? (These are perhaps even worse than shoe boxes. At least, photos in shoe boxes are easy to look at vs photos as thumbnails!) Now is the time to write the stories behind your photos. If your family is like mine, you have photos of people that no one can any longer identify. At best, you might opine “I think that’s someone on my mother’ s side.” Actions to take to better access your (more…)

Hiring a memoir ghostwriter will lead to a long-term relationship. This relationship will cost you money. It will also cost you time and energy. It is reasonable that you want it to function smoothly and well. Of course, you ask the writer for references, but are they reliable? Here are five areas of questions you ought to explore as you are checking a memoir ghostwriter‘s references. 1. How much like your own project was the project of the reference(s) your prospect has given you? If the project involved writing an annual business report, it will hardly help you to evaluate (more…)

How to Write More Efficiently #2

By Denis Ledoux

In a previous post, I had developed the concept of writing on a deadline. In this post I will stay with the concept of writing close to the finish. (more…)

The Memoir Network Ghostwriting Services

How to Write More Efficiently #1

By Denis Ledoux

Is it possible to write more efficiently? Too many writers (I have been among them) allow the book-writing process to go on and on. We lack efficiency which is a practice and, like all practices, it is possible to learn to write more efficiently. There are many ways to learn to write more efficiently but […]

Finishing a Memoir—How Do People Get Snagged?

By Denis Ledoux

Many people who seek us out at The Memoir Network are not beginners at memoir writing. Many have already composed 5, 10, 15 or more stories or vignettes. They have been working on their memoir for a significant length of time but they are spinning their wheels. They are not moving forward and seem to […]

Listen Up: Grow Your Memoir Business

By Denis Ledoux

Writers Learning About the Memory List at a "Turning Memories Into Memoirs" Workshop

The Problem With Writing Prompts

By Denis Ledoux

Regular Writing Practice: An Important Decision!

By Denis Ledoux

Many people set off to write their memoirs with considerable enthusiasm. Frequently however over the months and years it takes to complete the manuscript, their enthusiasm wanes and the memoir project that had seemed so interesting now begins to bore the writer is soon abandoned. I don’t think there was ever a writer whose interest […]

The Difference between a Memoir and an Autobiography

By Denis Ledoux

The difference between a memoir and an autobiography can be rather minimal—or they can be fairly large. “So what is the difference between a memoir and an autobiography?” you may persist in asking as so many people do. Practically speaking, for most people, there is no difference. In common speech, the terms are interchangeable. But […]

Write The Stories Behind Your Photos

By Denis Ledoux

Your photos tell stories. Did you store away a slew of photos in shoe boxes over the years–and more recently created huge photo files in your computer? (These are perhaps even worse than shoe boxes. At least, photos in shoe boxes are easy to look at vs photos as thumbnails!) Your photos tell stories. (more…)