RSS FeedDescription is anything that shapes the reader's perception of your message or story. Writing memoir is an ongoing, life-changing process that begins to shape the way you perceive events as they occur and the choices you make. In a very real sense, writing memoir changes your heart. Something similar happens as you study the craft of writing. You look for new ways to express your thoughts and experiences realistically and completely, to transform them from blah to brilliant. You learn the … [Read more...]
The Sound of Paper | Sharon Lippincott
September 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
What is the sound of paper? Julia Cameron wrote a book by this title, The Sound of Paper. I began reading it some time back and found it so inspiring that I returned the library copy, determined to order my own. Today I remembered the title and hit the 'net, looking for more information. That search activated a synapse deep inside Google, the cerebral cortex of cyberspace, linking to an essay, “The Sound of Paper”, posted on the Moleskinerie blog site by Pinkadelic. The essay lists … [Read more...]
Memoir Writing: Turn Your Story Inside Out
May 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Sometimes you have to turn a story inside out to find the real one. Angela, a writing group friend, has been struggling with a story that just didn’t seem to be going anywhere. “It doesn’t have any tension,” she observed. “Nothing is really happening. Nobody would read more than a page or two.” “So, why did you write this story? Why is it important to you?” another member asked. Angela’s voice was tentative as she began to explain. When she got to one element she had stashed … [Read more...]
Memoir Writing Tips | Story Midwives
May 4, 2012 By
Writing memoir is hard work and often messy. Some stories get stuck halfway out. Or they may not get out at all. We feel them stirring within, writhing and turning, kicking to get out, but the harder we try, the harder we push, the more tightly they stick in their spot. Sometimes we need help. I’d be terminally discouraged if I kept track of all the stories I’ve begun and eventually deleted because they just didn’t work. More often I am able to finish them, but only with considerable … [Read more...]
A Great Writing Class for Free
April 24, 2012 By
Looking at the pile of books awaiting return to the library, I realize that trips to the library constitute a top notch, life long learning, self-directed writing class, and I've been enrolled for decades. I especially love reading memoirs. I’m a sucker for the details of other people’s lives. I read for fun and to learn, but I’ve also learned to read with a writer’s eye. I pay attention to the way the content is structured, and I’m always on the lookout for elegant wording. I also … [Read more...]
Memoir Writing: It Takes a Village
April 7, 2012 By
“My cousin is convinced our grandmother was an evil witch, but Granny was always loving and generous with me.” “My boss has won awards for leadership excellence, but you couldn’t prove it by me. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a Nazi.” During the February NAMW Roundtable an anonymous guest (I’ll call her Becky) mentioned how differently she and her sister thought of their mother. This only became apparent when Becky gave Sis a draft copy of her memoir. “How can you talk about … [Read more...]
Memoir Writing Musings: Out of the Mouth of a Physicist
March 21, 2012 By
When I read something especially juicy and anyone’s within earshot, I can’t resist the temptation to read aloud. My spouse has grown used to this, sometimes enjoying the passages, but mostly staring at me to remind me he prefers to read things for himself — unless he’s driving the car. A few minutes ago I picked up a new memoir and began reading. The first sentence screamed to be read, and since he was working on a crossword nearby, he was fair game. I continued into another paragraph … [Read more...]
Memoir Writing: What is the Truth of a Tree?
March 12, 2012 By
What is the truth of a tree? What’s to wonder about? A tree is a tree. Maybe the truth is that it is an oak tree. Or a pine tree. Or is the truth of a tree that it is in a forest in Colorado, or by a creek in Texas? Is the tree’s truth its age? Maybe the truth of a tree is the birds that nest in its branches, or the fading of its leaves in autumn. Could it be the sap that runs in its veins, or the growth ring it acquires each year, expanding its girth? Maybe the truth of the tree is the … [Read more...]
Memoir Writing: Playing the Hidden Memory Game
February 8, 2012 By
What do writing a memoir and playing hidden object games have in common? After spending more hours playing Everest: Hidden Expedition (Big Fish Games, Inc.) than I care to admit even to myself, I found that link. In this and similar adventure games, you must find hidden objects in order to advance to the next location and eventually make your way to the top of Everest. In this particular game, the objects serve no purpose other than testing your powers of observation. There are far more hidden … [Read more...]
Memoir Writing Techniques: Memoir Brain Dump | Sharon Lippincott
February 1, 2012 By
You write and write on your memoir, and everything you think of reminds you of something else that doesn’t fit just here, but you don’t know what to do with it. Monkey mind! you think. Adult ADHD, perhaps. How on earth am I ever going to sort this all out and make sense of it? Don’t you wish you could turn your head upside down over a newspaper — or maybe a clean sheet on the dining room table — and dump it all out, sort of like the picture you see here? Maybe then you could look at … [Read more...]
