GUEST BLOG: Q&A With Memoir Author Fran Macilvey I was so excited to “meet” this memoir author on Facebook recently, and wanted to share her story and tips with you! Hope it inspires your own memoir writing. Author Fran Macilvey has not just one inspiring memoir book under her belt, but three. Her first book, Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy, […]
Mental Yoga
Starting to write can feel like this. Awkward. Uncomfortable. Totally unfamiliar. And like everyone else is better at this than you. Just close your eyes and dive in. Remember any words you write can be fixed up, corrected, and changed later. But a blank page can’t be edited. So pull out a pen. Top off […]
Valentine’s Day Memories
Everyone loves a good love story. And love stories make an especially wonderful addition to a life story or memoir! Maybe it’s that magic moment you first saw your future wife or husband; Or the accidental meeting that brought your parents together. Maybe it’s the high school sweetheart you loved and lost – but never quite […]
Memoir Tip – A Funny Thing Happened
Life isn’t humor-free. Don’t forget to capture those silly, awkward, and downright hilarious times in your memoir, too! What pranks did you play on friends and family — or got played on you? What stunts did you pull as a kid? (And did you get away with it, or did you get caught?) Tales of our […]
Memoir Tip – Small stuff IS the big stuff
For us memoir writers, the small stuff really is the big stuff. Great stories often spring from really humble things. Mom’s pin-cushion, always at the ready to mend a tear, re-attach a button, or stitch up a hem. The smell of baking bread from the kitchen. The flat stones by the ocean that you learned to […]
Memoir Tip – Finding Time
How do I find time to write? It’s a dilemma for nearly every memoir writer. Here’s a fresh thought: instead of fighting the calendar, treat it as your friend. Remember that every day brings you 24 fresh hours. Every week, that’s 168 precious chances to find an hour – just ONE hour! – to write. Steal […]
Memoirs: Turning Fear Into Fire
Let’s face it: we memoir writers are a sensitive lot. After all, this is our life we’re writing about! What if no one likes it? What if someone says my writing’s no good? What if I piss off Great-Aunt Martha or that grumpy uncle who shows up at our house at Christmas? Worse yet, what if I […]
7 Top Quotes from “Writing a Memoir: From Stuck to Finished!”
A memoir leaves a legacy like nothing else. We’ve helped produce dozens of oral histories. But we wanted a way to help people eager to write their own memoir — or perhaps finish one that’s been languishing in a box or a desk drawer! And voila, our latest book was born. “Writing a Memoir: From […]
Tips for Writing Your Memoir
Looking for some great tips to help you write your Life Story or Memoir? Try these six tips from the summer issue of Calaveras County Genealogical Society’s newsletter! LifeStory tips – Froghorn Summer 2018 And for more in-depth help, check out our new ebook, “Writing a Memoir: From Stuck to Finished” on Kindle!
Memoir Writers: How to Create a Get-Organized Tool Kit
Writing a memoir or oral history? You’ll find it helpful to put together a Memoir Writer’s Tool Kit ahead of time! What to include?? Here is a list of tools in my own kit: things I’ve found especially helpful for memoirs/oral histories. And the good news: they’re all small enough to keep in a handy […]
Memoir Tips: 3 Places To Start
A student in my Memoir class recently asked for some tips before interviewing her parent for a family history. It’s a common dilemma: “Where do I start??” There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, of course. But here are the suggestions I sent her – I hope they help you, too! (1) People: One easy place to begin is […]
Memoir Tip: Two’s Company
The only thing harder than finishing your memoir is starting it. Or more accurately, finding a way to keep going to the finish line once you have started! If you’ve tried — and failed — to make much progress writing your memoir, here’s a simple tip that can help: find yourself a partner. Not an editor. Not a […]