If you've begun writing a memoir, you might have noticed that the process is revealing aspects of yourself and your past that you failed to recognize before. It's a little like assembling a jigsaw puzzle that you're still seeking all the pieces to and slowly beginning to understand their … [Read more...] about Memoir Writing Teaches Us About Ourselves
seniors
Does Your Memoir Cheat Your Readers?
In memoir writing, it’s critical that we invite our readers to relate to our life stories. If we don’t, we are cheating them out of the very reason they bought our books—to share our experiences. Here are some of the memoir and life story writing tips I ask my students to keep on their desks beside … [Read more...] about Does Your Memoir Cheat Your Readers?
Memoir Writing: One Important Element
A critical building block of your memoir should be emotion. This can be particularly difficult for boomers and seniors to incorporate in their life stories. Although many have an urge to tell their stories, they can be hampered by the constraints of privacy and circumspection their generation often … [Read more...] about Memoir Writing: One Important Element
Tell Me a Better Story
As creative writers, we want to create stories—not reports. We know a story when we hear or read one, but sometimes it evades us when we're writing, especially when we're writing nonfiction, like memoir or autobiography. But even if the audience you envision for your memoir or autobiography is your … [Read more...] about Tell Me a Better Story
Tell Me a Story
In a previous post, I wrote that a "memoir is a story." Here's what I meant. When you're writing a memoir, or doing most types of creative writing for that matter, you're not just presenting a collection of facts or opinions. Not if you want anyone to read and relate to what you've written. Not if … [Read more...] about Tell Me a Story
Memoir Writing Tips
If you're writing a memoir, or planning to start one, I hope you'll follow this series of articles on memoir writing, and leave a comment about challenges you're facing in your writing, or share updates on your progress. Memoir or Autobiography? Many of the boomers and seniors I teach are working … [Read more...] about Memoir Writing Tips
Think You’re Too Old—or Too Young—to Start Writing?
No matter how old you are, you can become a writer, if that’s what you really want. One of my students wrote his first poem at the age of 87 and has had his work published numerous times since. Two of my students, who are probably in their eighties, are completing gripping mystery novels. A third, … [Read more...] about Think You’re Too Old—or Too Young—to Start Writing?