Memoir is about people and experiences. It’s about relationships, connection. And characters — the people in our life stories — are at the heart of it all. I see some of my students and clients writing memoir that can suffer from describing incidents one after another, neglecting the important fact
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“Reality” – From Chapter 10 “100 Years in the Life of an American Girl: True Stories 1910 – 2010” (publishing summer 2013) “Reality” – Chapter 10 — The 2000s, Dylanne White At 10 Dylanne’s three greatest wishes were to be allowed to wear make-up, get a new pair of skinny jeans,
Read More“Survival Rules” — from Chapter 6 in my upcoming book, “100 Years in the Life of an American Girl: True Stories 1910 – 2010” (publishing summer 2013) “Survival Rules” Johnny, Arkansas Johnny lived in town with her family on four acres. They grew or raised everything they ate: collard
Read More“Wartime Comes to the West Coast” — from Chapter 4 of my upcoming book, “100 Years in the Life of an American Girl: True Stories 1910 – 2010.” The book will be a rare view inside the lives of over 50 young girls from around the country and throughout a century. While
Read MoreThis is life in the words of young girls from around the country and throughout a century: “100 Years in the Life of an American Girl: True Stories 1910 – 2010.” While the book is in production I’ve decided to share a taste of these fabulous stories by giving a peek into
Read MoreJournaling was my first best friend growing up. I didn’t know it with that first hardcover diary with lock and tiny key someone gave me for my 10th birthday, but it wasn’t long before I found out just how good it was to write about what was going on and
Read MoreSome people worry their life stories won’t translate to the page, that they’ll sound dull (“this happened, then this happened, then this happened”). It doesn’t have to be that way. It’s all in how you shape it. Think of how we live. This happens and then that happens, and then
Read MoreA new writer asked me a good question the other day. She started writing memoir because she wanted to chronicle her life but only expected to write about the events of her life. She was finding out there was a whole lot more to it, namely, she was hearing she
Read MoreWriting memoir is an interesting mix of ingredients. It’s personal story. It’s heartfelt expression. It’s writing in your true voice. But when we want others to read what we’ve written, it has to be all of this and so much more. How do you move a story from the personal
Read MoreI learned about shame and writing many years ago. I also learned a good lesson about how third person works in memoir — and doesn’t. A memoir student of mine wrote a story about her family living out of a camper by a river in Tennessee during the 1930s, when
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