What’s wonderful about the decision to write memoir is the clear choice you face when deciding who’s going to narrate your book. It’s you! No need to weigh between first person and third person. You lived it and it’s your story. There is a decision to make, however, between the two narrative voices you have at your disposal when you dive in and start to write your scenes. These are what Sue William Silverman aptly calls the “Voice of Innocence” and the “Voice of Experience.” You make use of the … [Read more...]
Research and Memoir
September 1, 2012 By 3 Comments
Research is directly linked to truth in memoir. Many memoirists feel they need more facts in order to start; in order to keep going; in order to finish. I have worked with writers who are convinced they need to interview family members to get their take on what really happened. I have worked with writers who have decided they can’t or won’t write until they find that one particular journal (which they can’t find, of course) that captures the essence of 1973 in all its intensity. I have worked … [Read more...]
Strategies for Handling Scope in Memoir
July 7, 2012 By 1 Comment
Many writers come to their memoirs with so much information, back story, and details about their lives that the prospect of narrowing down their scope or even knowing where to begin can feel daunting and elusive. When it’s your own story, it’s tough to be objective, so it’s important to determine as early as possible whether you have a chronologically-driven or thematically-driven narrative. The first is simpler to execute. Your story unfolds on a timeline, and you need to be careful not to … [Read more...]
Write Your Book in Six Months becomes Write Your Memoir in Six Months
May 8, 2012 By 1 Comment
Linda Joy and I are pleased to announce that we are refining our course to be memoir-specific. After much good feedback and a general sense of feeling more aligned to our passion of serving memoirists, we have reconceptualized the course to be tailored specifically to memoirists and the unique challenges that they face. And we couldn’t be happier. Linda Joy, founder and president of the National Association of Memoir Writers, has been a tireless advocate of the power of memoir to heal and give … [Read more...]
Repurpose and Conquer
April 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In preparation for Write Your Book in Six Months, I’m doing my own challenge---writing my own book in six months, with the goal of being finished by July 1. And has it ever been a challenge! There are a million reasons it’s hard to write, a hundred priorities that take precedent over the day-to-day writing, and more than enough excuses as to why writers don’t stay on track of their writing goals. Much more rare, and therefore more valuable and important, are the strategies that keep us … [Read more...]
Writing in the Digital Age with Linda Joy and Brooke
April 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
On April 30, Linda Joy and Brooke offered this conversation to the NAMW community. Here we talk about writing in the digital age, complete with insights about how to stay on track, write fast and in flow, and ideas for building your platform by starting with a free or low-cost ebook. Enjoy! … [Read more...]
Why to Launch Your Publishing Career with an Ebook
April 2, 2012 By 3 Comments
Lots of aspiring authors are met with rejections from agents and editors because they don’t have enough of a platform. A platform is anything you’re doing (currently or in the works) that supports your author profile, gives you visibility, and shows a publisher that you have what it takes to reach customers. Things that automatically count against you include: no email list; no or few Facebook friends or fans; no Twitter account or followers; no website. You MUST build your online presence if … [Read more...]
The Value of Fast Writing
March 25, 2012 By 2 Comments
Fast writing, as it turns out, is a bit of a controversial topic for some creatives. I’ve talked to a lot of writers lately who believe the creative process should not be rushed, and that doing so means sacrificing value—for the writer and the reader. I want to take on this topic today to offer a different perspective on fast writing, and to talk about what it can do for you and why it’s a good practice. When I’m talking about fast writing I’m talking about diving into your content. I’m talking … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Make Your Prescriptive Writing Shine
March 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
1. Use subheads. Subheads tell your reader what to expect, and they can help you stay on point, too, by functioning as content containers. Think of the content that falls under any given subhead as a substance going into a bucket. Maybe you have water, cornmeal, flour, etc., and goal is not to mix or have your substance spill out or flow over. These ingredients are your content. If you’re writing about dating, for instance, you might have a chapter about getting back into the scene after … [Read more...]
