Structuring a Memoir: Scratching your head over how to structure your memoir? It can seem like such an intimidating puzzle! How do you un-jumble a lifetime of experiences? What’s the best way to tell your unique story? Memoir experts will blithely assure you, of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But that’s not […]
Writing Magic: Transporting Your Reader
Ever read a passage so good it gave you goosebumps? What is that word-magic that can transport a reader to another time, another place? Two readers kindly shared favorites from their memoirs with us, as examples. Here’s one I loved, from Dana Quinney’s second memoir, Wildflower Woman (and I bet […]
Passages from a Memoir
Memoir author Candy Mitchell shares a story Candy Mitchell is working on her second family history. Her first book was about her great-grandfather, who traveled from Connecticut to Oklahoma during the land rush, and wound up as a newspaperman in Muskogee. Candy was able to use excerpts […]
Sharing a Story: from Margaret McCaffrey
This month I put out a call to fellow memoir writers, asking if anyone would like to share a short snippet they’re especially proud of from their memoir-in-progress. Such beautiful responses flowed in! Margaret McCaffrey of Melbourne, Australia shared not only a beautiful story about her dad, but also […]
How I Rescued a Traveler’s Diary from 1835
I stumbled across a small, hand-written diary in an antique store in May, 1988. I’d never run across an old diary for sale before, and had no idea what this one was about. All I knew is what it said on the tag: “1835 handwritten trip journal.” The diary […]
Memoir Tip: What Can You Leave Behind?
Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to be asked to help a Native American woman complete her oral history. This month, I attended her funeral. Funerals aren’t generally happy affairs. But this one left me feeling up-lifted. It was a genuine celebration of a well-lived life. And although […]
1835 Traveler’s Diary
Like a free excerpt? Over thirty years ago, I discovered an old traveler’s diary in an antique shop. Written in 1835, it recorded the travels of a New England gentleman as he explored the “west” (today’s Midwest), searching for land and opportunity. Click here to read a free excerpt! * […]
Finding Your Writer’s Voice
MEMOIR TIP: You’ve probably heard about “writer’s voice”: that distinctive style that sets you apart from every other writer who’s come before. Part of it’s your tone. Maybe distinguished. Compelling. Funny. Or quirky. But it’s also the feeling your readers get as they read those words you strung together. It’s the way […]
Keeping the Writing Spark Alive
What keeps you going, when you’re writing a memoir? It’s different for everyone, of course. But sometimes a simple word of encouragement can make all the difference. We asked a group of fellow memoir writers recently what keeps them going, and what advice they […]
Handling Trauma and Healing In Your Memoir
Meet Memoir Writer Leslie Ferguson: As a child, all Leslie really wanted was a normal family and a mother’s love. Instead, she found herself trying to navigate a terrifying world with a schizophrenic mother, who tried to kill her. Hungry, afraid, and intermittently homeless, Leslie knew she had to leave to survive. But […]
5 Ways a Beta Reader Can Help Your Memoir
Memoir Tip: Try a Beta Reader! I confess I hadn’t used Beta readers, until my latest book (a novel). But now I’m hooked! My goal in assembling a Beta reader team was simple: encouragement to write regularly. Knowing I had readers eagerly awaiting my next chapter helped keep me on-schedule. That accountability […]
Memoir Writing Tips from Margaret Agard
From High-Tech to Arctic Circle – and Peacocks Too! Margaret Agard is right up there among my memoir-writing heroes –with not just one memoir, but two and a half under her belt. (Number Three is currently in the works, and she’s contemplating a possible Book Four!) Her life has included plenty of […]