Looking for a little Memoir inspiration? Well, author Marian Beaman has not just one inspiring memoir in print, but two. Her first book, Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl, debuted in 2019. And her second, My Checkered Life: A Marriage Memoir, followed in 2023.
Marian’s intriguing first book shares stories of growing up in a Mennonite community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the 1950s and ’60s – with traditional prayer caps and a capella hymns. It’s a unique insight into a different way of life than most of us ever experience, and Marian’s memoir has drawn an impressive 4.8-star Amazon rating. Her second book, too, with its stories of faith and commitment, has also been well-received.
Marian kindly agreed to share tips from her memoir journey. I hope you’ll be inspired both by Marian’s personal story and her sage memoir-writing advice!
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Q&A With Marian Beaman:
Q: What made you decide to sit down and write your memoir? And how did you go about the process of getting your story into book form?
A: I began telling stories about my life as a young Mennonite girl on my blog, Plain and Fancy, in 2013 (a blog that’s now moved to my website). As my blog audience grew, readers wanted to know more about my childhood in Pennsylvania. Early on, one author invited me to her home for a writers’ retreat where I met several women who became my mentors. As time progressed, these author/mentors offered to assist me in a variety of ways: helping me to revise and edit the manuscript; writing blurbs for my book; providing tips on marketing.
Stories don’t magically evolve into a book! Coming from academia, I was clueless about storytelling, and so I took courses. One was Write Your Memoir in Six Months, taught by Linda Joy Myers of the National Association of Memoir Writers; and the other, a family history course with poet/storyteller Ben Vogt. These courses helped me create early drafts, but my narrative still needed honing. I am grateful to several other author/friends who willingly did a close reading of each chapter, some making specific editing suggestions. I also joined some writing groups, both face-to-face and virtual.
Q: What did you most want to emphasize as you wrote? Were you primarily interested in telling a story, or sharing a message? What did you want readers to take away from your book?
A: At first, I simply wanted to recount my unique story for posterity. However, my memoir teachers showed me why I should provide takeaways for my readers. (What lesson did I learn after this happened?) I believe one’s personal story should show transformation over time—How was I able to endure challenges? How did my experiences change me?
I hope readers will come to appreciate the value of a way of life in a specific time period: Mennonite life in Lancaster County, PA during the 1950s and ’60s. Also, my memoir shows my path toward forgiveness, often with challenges and sometimes fraught with confusion.
Q: Your book has garnered great reviews (4.8 stars!! wow!) How did you go about getting those reviews, and do you have any advice for other authors about reaching out for reviewers?
A: Thank you! Yes, the best way to thank an author is to write a review. Authors who wrote cover blurbs praising my memoir buoyed my spirits. Then I contacted early readers who told me they’ve enjoyed my book and asked them for a review, either verbally or via email. Many readers are shy because they don’t think they sound professional enough. Here’s what I said to an enthusiastic reader in my Pilates class who sent me 3-4 short sentences via Messenger: “Your kind words would work well in a review. If you are willing, I would appreciate your writing what you said here in an Amazon review.” Then I provided the URL link, so she wouldn’t have to figure out where to post her review.
Q: Many memoirs simply share a great deal of anger or pain. It can be healing for the writer to tell those stories, but those can be hard for others to read, especially if there’s no sense of resolution or perspective added. Your first book blends a loving look back at many wonderful things in your early family but also tells about events that were painful and things that made you decide to reach for growth in other ways of life. How did you go about reconciling those in such a loving and kind way? I don’t sense you harbor a great deal of resentment, and that comes through in your writing. What’s the lesson there for other memoir writers?
A: I have written about my early life from my perspective now as a mature adult, through the long tunnel of time. One benefit of such a time-lapse is that events of my early life, both joys and sorrows, have had time to marinate and distill. Also, one editor encouraged me to show both positive and negative traits of my characters. “Okay, maybe your dad was heavy-handed in his treatment of you, but how about revealing his virtues as well, perhaps sharing times you spent together deep-sea fishing or taking Sunday walks in the meadow?”
Q: What did you learn while doing your memoir that you’d most want to share with other would-be memoir writers? What do you wish you had known when you started?
A:
- Read other memoirs. Try to catch the narrative arc of other stories as you read. Over time, you will notice the progression of ideas in another memoir which may provide guidance for your own.
- Identify your audience. Who is your ideal reader? Write down a description.
- Don’t be in a hurry to get your book on the shelves. I probably spent 3-4 years on my project.
- When energy and courage ebb, and they will, give yourself breaks. Get some exercise; meet a friend for coffee.
- Pin up mottos in your line of vision. Right now, I can look left and read the words of Sean Thomas Daugherty: “Why bother? Because right now there is someone out there with a wound in the exact shape of your words.”
- Remember this: You are creating a legacy for future generations. For example, my children and grandchildren can benefit from learning about my early life in Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl. They can trace the evolution of our marriage, with its peaks and valleys, in My Checkered Life: A Marriage Memoir. Your stories won’t be lost.
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Marian’s books and social media:
Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl
My Checkered Life: A Marriage Memoir
Website: https://marianbeaman.com
Instagram: @marianbeaman
Facebook: @marian.beaman/
Email: marianbeaman@comcast.net
