Date: October 16, 2014
Time: 4 PM PDT 5 PM MDT 6 PM CDT 7 PM EDT
At this free Roundtable Teleseminar, we’re going to address a subject that memoir writers struggle with: whether to write their story as a memoir—everything is true!—or as autobiographical fiction—I made it up!
Many memoir writers struggle with this decision, so we’re pleased to present Mary Gottschalk and Carol Bodensteiner, who have gone from a corporate life to writing and publishing memoirs and fiction. They will discuss their often-parallel paths from business writing to creative writing, including their perspective on the differences between memoir and fiction.
Topics will include:
• Memoir vs. Fiction — choosing your genre
• Memoir as a “training tool”
• Getting past the facts
• Factual accuracy vs. spiritual / emotional truth
• The value of a writing group/partner
• Building the writer’s toolkit
Listen to the Download of the Call
Mary Gottschalk Bio
Mary has made a career out of changing careers. She spent nearly thirty years in the financial markets, working with Fortune 500 corporations in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Central America, and Europe. She dropped out in the mid-1980’s to embark on the multi-year sailing voyage that is the subject of her memoir, Sailing Down the Moonbeam. The key message of her memoir is that you grow the most when you step outside of your comfort zone.
Continuing to work with that theme, Mary published her first novel, A Fitting Place, in May, 2014. She blogs regularly on the experience of being outside your comfort zone. She is also a freelance writer and professional editor.
Carol Bodensteiner Bio
Carol finds inspiration in the places, people, culture and history of the Midwest. After a successful career in public relations consulting, she turned to creative writing. Carol’s childhood on a family farm in the middle of the United States in the middle of the 20th century provided grist for her memoir, Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl. Having stepped 50 years back in history with her memoir, writing her debut novel Go Away Home set in Iowa during WWI was a logical next step. Carol blogs about writing, her prairie, gardening, and whatever in life interests her at the moment. Her essays have been included in a number of anthologies.
It’s a very interesting question! If one writes a biography there’s a lot of wiggle room! To write an honest memoir is to go through the dungeons of ones’ life experience and put ones’ name on it.
This isn’t preaching…it’s how it is to travel in the hold of truth about oneself.
Namaste…Carole
This sounds like an interesting program. I would appreciate a download.
HI Suzanne,
I went ahead and added your name to the list. In future you can sign up on the page and receive the download.
Keep writing,
Zeenah
NAMW Support
I began my writing career writing a memoir. After taking a few classes the instructors characterized it as a traditional memoir style.
As family members read parts of it they said, “this isn’t the way it happened.” Yet, I countered with, “That is how I remembered it.” I do think that I like writing memoir precisely because I write about events from my perspective.
I would like to hear more about the two genres from other writers.
Is it too late to get a download? Thank you.
Barbara
No it’s not too late. I’ll put you on the list to get it.
Signed up bur missed the conference call. Sorry,
Woukd appreciate the printed version. Have truly enjoyed other calls.
Thx.
Janey
We do not have transcripts, however you can listen to the recording. If you signed up, you should have received it today in email. Otherwise you can listen to it on this page.
I was unable to attend the live call for this event, but had signed up for the download afterwards in advance. Did I sign up correctly, I have not received the download? Thanks!
You will receive the download by the following Tuesday of calls.