Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Save This Article on Writing a Memoir

I’ve been cheating on the picture book.

I can’t stay away from my running memoir. It’s all I can think about. So I’m going with it for right now. So sue me.

This post will be short because I’m just here to share the following article on memoir writing by Annette Fix (The Break-Up Diet). When I found this piece, I wanted to hug it.

Drawing From Your Life to Create...Your Story

Also...I’m reading William Zinsser’s On Writing Well and really enjoying it. He illustrates his points with excerpts and examples from other writers. The book is broken up in easy-to-digest chapters, too, which makes it simple for me to pick it up when I have five minutes to read and then put it back down without losing my place. I’d recommend it for any type of non-fiction writing, from journalists to memoirists. Even fiction writers would take something away from it, I’m sure.

3 comments:

  1. I skimmed the article and the statement I liked was conflict is innate. You don't have to create it. After you complete your memoir will you post/share it?

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  2. I haven't read the article, but thought I'd comment on your "infidelity" to your picture book. I read the Writer's Life awhile ago, a series of essays by well know authors talking about different aspects of their careers. One author was insistent that they couldn't just concentrate on one project at a time. They always had several going at once, and if they were stuck on one would move on to the other and go back later. Maybe that's just the way you work & if you can organize your writing into different folders, projects, files whatever, then you can just move as inspiration strikes, without back tracking, giving up on an idea or feeling guilty.

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  3. Christina - I don't think I will post it, but I may ask you to read it and give me feedback. Might not be till fall, though. I need to get my butt in gear.
    Kelly - I love that. That's so me. I have writing ADD.

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