Denis Ledoux's Blog, page 15

Become Good at Memoir Writing

Twice a week or so, the Memoir Writer’s Blog posts a new article. I write about a variety of topics and most of them are not in sequence with what I have written previously. My only logic is to help you become good at memoir writing —better and better with every post.

I write in the Memoir Writer’s Blog as fancy takes me. Most readers, as I am guessing, probably do not prefer to learn in a structured manner and have to wait for the next article in the sequence.  What I write today may ...

Learn Better Writing: how not to wander aimlessly in your memoir

DL: This is part of a several posts of free products available to you to learn better writing.This is Part 1.

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You know the scene. You’re in an unknown town—never been to before. You have some general directions: your location is in the north end of town: perhaps it’s on a side street; after a fast food restaurant; “oh, and it’s after the oak tree that has been cut down.”

Needless to say, you have been driving around the north end without finding where your would like to arrive....

22 Memoir-Writing Goals for 2022

Did you find yourself wandering along with your memoir writing in 2021 and not achieving your memoir-writing goals?  Do you have a sense that you might have accomplished a bit more writing than you have?

At this time of year, it is traditional to review how the past year went for you and to create goals for yourself for the coming year. (A goal is a wish with action steps and a timeline.) These goals need to be written and reviewed periodically.

Studies have shown that people who se...

Making a Home at the Howe Street Apartment

DL: This excerpt is from We Were Not Spoiled, my mother’s memoir which we co-wrote. It was published in 2014 and remains a comforting memory. My mother has passed but I have her words, her story. As I read this excerpt, I can hear her voice and she is with me again. You can read more excerpts here.

Write your mother’s and father’s memoir before it is too late. If they have passed, write your memories before they fade.

_____

My Parents Establish Themselves In Maine.

The Howe Street apartme...

Only Telling the Truth in Your Memoir Will Set You Free

This is a perennial question: can I make something up in my memoir? It would help with the drama / or the flow of the story / or salve someone’s feeling by not telling the truth.

The short answer of course is, of course, you can make anything up that you want because it’s you story but why would you want to dilute your memoir by not telling the truth?

A memoir is the true account of a time or an experience in one’s life. Your adding fiction for the ease of the telling (or for whatever reas...

Schedule Your Writing

Spontaneity can be exhilarating and bring zest to your writing, but if you are a new or uncertain writer, you are well advised to schedule your writing.  Without a time set aside, it become to easy to “forget” or find an excuse—”I’m just too busy today.”

To get a good start on your memoir, you will need to schedule your writing.  Today is a good time to begin the habit of writing every day on your memoir whether you are seeking to do a rough draft or polish your text.

Set time aside to do the w...

Self-publish or Traditional Route?

Note from the editor: Below is the text of an email I received from a member of My Memoir Education asking about which was best: self-publish or traditional route. I have edited it for brevity and to preserve the writer’s anonymity.

Dear Denis, I finally finished my manuscript. What a long journey it has been! I think it is in good shape, and I am ready to publish. However, I am finding deciding on the next step to be quite challenging.

I have received conflicting advice: some people have ...

Courgeous Truth Telling — A Revolutionary Act

One of the most transformative statements an individual can make is courageous truth telling and objectivity. In a world where we are constantly being bombarded with subtle—and not so subtle—messages about who we ought to be, it is a bold statement to take a stand for personal authenticity.

“The telling of your stories is a revolutionary act.” — Sam Keen, writer

At its best, this is what a memoir is — a statement that declares “this is who I am, who I think of myself as being.”

Lest you th...

“Making Nice” Will Trip You Up

We all have family stories that we have heard over and over again. When they are told in family gatherings, no one expects any contradiction. After all, the stories are the “truth” about someone in the family but “making nice”—not telling the truth in memoir—will trip you up.

How do you write truth in memoir?

There’s no problem when you are in agreement with the story line and the interpretation, but what do you do when you are not? Especially what do you do when you are isolated in the w...

Don’t Let Writer’s Block Stop You

Don’t let writer’s block stop you from producing a great memoir!

“What can I do about writer’s block?” I am asked regularly by stumped writers.

“Pretty much the same as plumber does with a plumber’s block,” I’ll respond.

People twitter at this reply. Perhaps it’s because they take my response for a joke and they’re anticipating a good punch line.

Do what you have to do if you don’t let writer’s block stop you.

But, this is no joke. A good plumber, I tell these “blocked” writers, goes abou...