December 4, 2014
4 PM PST 5 PM MST 6 PM CST 7 PM EST
Guest: Marilyn Bousquin
Listen to call recording.
Writing a memoir of substance requires more than a one-dimensional recounting of events. As Vivian Gornick puts it, “What happened to the writer is not what matters; what matters is the large sense that the writer is able to make of what happened.” No matter how interesting a story, without a deeper, underlying meaning our readers are left asking, “So, what?” The memoirist’s job is to cull meaning from experience. This is where the reflective voice comes in. The reflective narrator not only speaks the truth but also interprets experience and arrives at insight; indeed, the author’s insight becomes an integral part of the story and imbues it with universal appeal.
In this roundtable discussion we will:
- Identify the reflective voice and how it distinguishes memoir as a genre
- Explore the differences between the reflective voice and the narrative voice in memoir and the necessity of both
- Understand the relationship between the reflective voice and the emotional arc of a memoir and how the reflective voice drives a memoir story
- Realize the power of reflection to lead to discovery both on the page and off the page and how reflection can help you gain the emotional distance necessary to shape your material
- Learn reading and writing practices that will help you to cultivate the reflective voice in your own writing
Call Recording
Bio
Marilyn Bousquin, founder of Writing Women’s Lives™ (www.writingwomenslives.com), specializes in teaching both the craft of writing memoir and the consciousness work that leads to recovering one’s voice and claiming one’s truth both on the page and off the page. A certified Amherst Writers and Artists group writing coach, Marilyn holds an MFA in creative nonfiction. Her work appears in River Teeth: A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative, in Kate Hopper’s Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers, and is forthcoming in Under the Gum Tree. You can read her book reviews in Literary Mama and River Teeth. Her essay “Against Memory” was named a finalist for AROHO’s Orlando Prize for Creative Nonfiction 2013. In addition to teaching classes and mentoring women writers at Writing Women’s Lives™, Marilyn teaches writing at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia. She is currently at work on a memoir titled Searching for Salt.
The need for reflection in memoir doesn’t get covered nearly enough. Kudos on doing something about that.
I agree. And taking the TIME for reflection is antithetical to the fast paced world of social media.
Culling meaning is the hardest writing I have ever done because it requires me to think about my own needs and intentions. Thinking about past experiences doesn’t always give up my true intentions. I am looking forward to learning how to cull the reflective voice and when best to use it.