The seasons are shifting, The winter shades lifting,
The springtime is filling
Earth's children with mirth.
The daffodil yellow, The south wind so mellow,
The gentle rain falling,
Upon the green earth.
The song sparrow singing, New life quickly springing,
All nature is telling
A tale of rebirth:
The deep wells of being, Beyond each day's seeing,
O'er flowing with new Life,
Restoring the earth.
-David E. Bumbaugh, "Spring", 1998
Welcome to the National Association of Memoir Writers newsletter!
Welcome to the National Association of Memoir Writers newsletter!
It has been fun getting on the roadmap in the memoir writing
community in just a week. Welcome to all new members and
sign-ups this week!
This week I was interviewed about the reasons a national
organization for memoir writers is important. This got me
talking and thinking about how much I love memoirs and how
important I think they are in the world. I didn’t have prepared
questions, I just launched in talking about what I’m most
passionate about. I hope to have the full article for you next
month, but for now I’ll just tell you a few reasons why I think
our work is so important.
1. A memoir is a grass roots way to connect with other people.
Everyone feels isolated in his or her own skin from time to
time, and we all wonder if others feel like we do. A memoir is
our letter to the world, connecting our inner experience with
theirs. At its root, it is healing for everyone.
2. A memoir transforms memories, using the imagination and
fictional tools, into a work of art. A memoir is not meant to be
a factual document like a newspaper article. It remains a
merging of art and self, memory and imagination, a way to tell
our truths the best way that we can. Yes, there is an honor
system embedded in the art form. Most writers I know are careful
to represent their realities with respect for others and are not
interesting in lying for personal gain.
3. Writing a memoir changes you. It can be healing, inspiring,
and challenging, or all of the above. Delving into your memories
and sorting through them is a three stage process that leaves
you transformed by the end. First, you purge out the old, the
pain, the confusion by writing raw—we’ll talk more about that in
our teleseminars. Second, you use narrative structure to connect
the stories and your own relationship to them as you move to
stage three.
In stage three, you find a new perspective about your memories,
your stories, and yourself. This is the stage of transformation
and integration. We will talk about this too in future seminars.
4. Memoir writers have many reasons to write their stories.
Think about what you want in writing your memoir—it can include
everything we have already talked about. This might include:
•Personal expression and exploration.
•Writing to remember people in your life who were important to
you.
•Writing for your own pleasure—uncovering memories and times
in their lives they want to remember.
•Leaving a legacy for family. Many memoir writers create their
stories for the enjoyment of telling stories that otherwise
would be forgotten and buried.
•Getting your stories published, either online or in print.
Reaching out to the world with your stories, insights, and
successes.
As a therapist, memoirist, and writing coach, I have helped
people with all kinds of memoir writing and guided them through
the various stages mentioned above. It is truly a journey to
write your memoir, one that is significant and life changing!
Whatever your goals might be, he National Association of Memoir
Writers wants to help you achieve them.
We offer inspiration, connection, and support through our
membership organization, our website, and Facebook network.
Stay tuned for our teleseminar series, products, and services.
This week we will be offering books and a audio teleseminar on
the products page. Stay in touch, and do join us at Facebook.
Get acquainted!
Be Brave—Write Your Story!
Weekly Memoir Vignette Prompts
The Sensual Delights of Spring
Tuning into the sensual world around me gives me cues that help
me to write something that draws upon my emotions, my senses,
and helps me to branch out with ideas. I encourage all my
students to
•Take a walk through your neighborhood or a park. Walking
stimulates your right, creative brain. Tune into your senses,
the flowers, grass, trees, sounds of cars, dogs, lawn mowers,
laughter. Breathe deeply, and notice the feeling of the place
you are part of at this moment—is there tension, comfort,
relaxation, stimulation? Write about this moment in the present
tense. Draw upon description, color and sounds to paint a
picture.
•Taste your food more by eating slowly and meditatively. What
associations do you have with this experience of food? What
other food experiences are important in your memories? Write
about a memorable food scene or cooking scene from your
childhood. Write in the present tense. Give us a place, time,
setting, and other characters around you to fill out the scene.
•Write about a spring day that you have always remembered. What
happened that day? What changed for you that day. It could be an
awareness of life around you, a relationship, or a sense of your
place in the world, for instance.
Upcoming NAMW Events
Writing to Heal - Kay Adams
May 8, 2008
11:00AM
---
Baby Boomers' Power to Create - Dotsie Bregal
June 5, 2008
11:00AM
---
Submission Strategies for Successful Publication - Joan Gelfand
June 10, 2008
