MY FATHER USED TO SAY that you should write everything like a letter home. In a letter home you rarely tell those people who raised you how very great you are, or right you are, or unique. You tend to … [Read more...] about Writing Memoir? Don’t Try This At Home
Writing Memoir: Class Notes. March 23, 2012
THIS WEEK’S CLASS was the first in a new six-week series. I particularly love these first nights, since it brings the challenge back to me to explain what memoir is, what it is not, and what is … [Read more...] about Writing Memoir: Class Notes. March 23, 2012
Class Notes. The Most Asked Question in Memoir Writing: When is it Done?
THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION in my class is “How do I know when it’s done?” In fact, a piece of writing never really dies, though you are done when a blog post, an essay, even a book has … [Read more...] about Class Notes. The Most Asked Question in Memoir Writing: When is it Done?
Is That A Glue Gun in Your Pocket or Are You Just Really Not Glad to See Me?
DROP THE GLUE GUN. Back away from the scrapbook. That’s right. Slowly. If you were scrapbooking, you were defaulting to the simplest, most anemic of ways to remember the moments of your life. … [Read more...] about Is That A Glue Gun in Your Pocket or Are You Just Really Not Glad to See Me?
Writing Memoir? Include Transcendence
MEMOIR REQUIRES TRANSCENDENCE. Something has to happen. Or shift. Or merely move. Someone has to change a little. Or grow. It’s the bare hack minimum of memoir. But don’t confuse transcendence with … [Read more...] about Writing Memoir? Include Transcendence
Clever Damage: Writing Memoir About Family Abuse
A RECENT CLASS was one of the toughest online memoir classes I’ve ever taught. Utterly challenging, the evening was filled with pieces that while wonderful, were also emotionally wrenching. Many … [Read more...] about Clever Damage: Writing Memoir About Family Abuse
