Summer Memoir: Getting Over the Slump
THE SUMMER WRITING SLUMP. This is a tough time for writers–that time of year when the most seductive set of temptations to not write beckon: the great outdoors and all its wonders. I mean, who can write in this weather? Who can write when you could instead: swim/sail/run/play tennis/golf/hike, whatever? You can. That is, if you’re willing follow these simple rules to get over a summer writing slump. Are you? Then come along.
Despite the weather–or, more precisely, because of it–this is a hallowed time for writing retreats, the very best time of year to get people together in one place, and shelter and feed them long enough to get them working. I love such places, and soon I will be visiting my favorite among them to give an afternoon talk on writing memoir.
How to sum up writing memoir in one single talk? Here are my notes.
- Memoir is about territory, and you need to know how to stake out the boundaries of your story.
- Making it up is never an option. Instead, we want the truth according to you.
- Along with lying, other known hazards of memoir writing include being self-congratulatory, which is never ever a good idea.
- To get going, how about writing some lists? Lists are good, of course, and always welcome.
- Characterization is key.
- The myth of writer’s block is just that–a myth.
- Knowing when a story is ripe for writing is essential, as I did when I waited 46 years to write the story of my fourth-grade play.
- A general pitch session, when they pitch me their tales and I show them how to make them small enough to write to write.
And we’ll be done. All except the writing, which I know they’ll do–if they can ignore the weather.
Want more help? Join me in live, online memoir classes
Start here, with The Memoir Project System Page, to understand the breadth of all the classes we teach.
Want to jump right in? Here’s a sampling of our classes.
Memoirama: Live, 90 minutes. Everything you need to write what you know.
Memoirama 2. Live, two hours. Limited to seven writers. What you need to know to structure a book.
How to Write Opinion Pieces: Op-eds, Radio Essays and Digital Commentary: Live, 90 minutes. Get your voice out into the world.
And keep in mind that we are now registering names for the next Master Class, the prerequisites for which are Memoirama and Memoirama 2. Live, once a month. Limited to six writers. Get a first draft of your memoir finished in six months.