Denis Ledoux's Blog, page 24

Leading a Conference Workshop as a Guest Presenter

Participating in writing conferences, either as a panelist, lecturer, or as a workshop leader is a great way to get your name and book out in public and to network with other writers like you—especially when you are leading a conference workshop.

Being a presenter comes with tasks, but the challenge is not impossible. I’d like to offer you some  guidelines to help you be as successful as you can be to:

Respond to a presenters’ request for proposal,
Adhere to a list of conference presenter...

Sell Your Memoir to Your Intended Audience: 4 Tips

An important step to sell your memoir is to identify your intended audience early in the process. Your buying audience will affect what you include in your memoir and the manner in which you write it. You will likely include different material in your memoir depending on who you believe will purchase it.

Tips to write and sell your memoir to your intended audience

Here are thoughts that range from helping to promote a memoir that might either appeal to a large audience or to a...

5 Better Ways to Describe The People in Your Memoir

Without other people, our lives and our memoirs risk becoming dull. Although ideas are pivotal for many individuals, relationships are even more commanding. We are intrigued with who other people are and how they function. “Who’s that? What are they doing? Where did they come from?” These are question we want answered. To write a strong story, capitalize on this interest.

The people in your story are your characters. It is your job to bring vivid characters to the attention of your readers...

Show Don’t Tell, or Don’t Describe Your Characters–Show Them!

The old adage “Show, don’t tell!” is as true as ever. It is one technique that will always improve your writing. I admit that there is some great writing that makes a precedent for “tell,” but as a rule, “show” is more effective.

1. Your pen is your movie camera.

In a film, a director ( that’s you!) doesn’t have an actor go on screen to tell the audience that someone is angry. Instead, he shows the character in a scene where anger is in action.

In writing, this means you do not say, “Naomi...

Launching Your Memoir Teaching – 6 Steps To More Success

Many memoir writers secretly, or not so secretly, want to help other people to write their memoirs. Sometimes they do this informally with a friend or two, and at other times, they get a bit more organized and offer a class at a library or other institution. One thing is certain, launching your memoir teaching will take some attention.

I have taught workshops for decades and can attest to the deep satisfaction I have derived from working with writers. I have formed friendships that have la...

Book Launch Tips: Business Boy to Business Man, by Robert Verreault

You’ve written your memoir and it has finally been readied for publication. Finally comes the day when you hold your book in hand!

Now what?

A rousing book launch is what’s next.

Business Boy to Business Man by Robert Verreault took several years to write. Mr. Verreault, a successful businessman, decided to give himself the gift of a memoir. Unfortunately, he died before the book was published but his family decided to go ahead and launch the book in style.

Business Boy to Business Man is ...

The Personal Memoir: Keep the “Me” in your MEmoir

Editor’s Note: The Personal Memoir: Keep the “Me” in your MEmoir was originally published on Bookbaby Blog and is used with the permission of the author. This piece was originally published on this blog in 20017. Comments are still being accepted.

Without the “me” in your memoir – the fragile and imperfect person who lived the events in your story – you leave out the human element your readers long to connect with.

You’ve retired. Now, at last, you have the time to work on that book you’v...

How to write a memoir: our 21 Best Memoir-Writing Tips to get you writing—quickly and well.

It’s later than you think. Don’t put off writing your memoir any longer. Our 21 in-depth best memoir-writing tips below will help you to start memoir writing today. 

You’ll find these guides will take you through the process of how to write a memoir—an interesting and meaningful memoir. 

One day soon, you will have written your book.

The Memoir Network’s 21 Top Best Memoir-Writing Tips to get you to memoir success.

1. What is a memoir? Hint: it’s not an autobiography! Is the d...

A Journey of Healing via Memoir Writing With Susan Yerburgh

Denis Ledoux: I had the pleasure of working with Susan Yerburgh for several years as she articulated her message in Shadows & Light: A Journey of Healing and Empowerment and used it to continue her own healing journey. Because of the significance of her writing and life experience, I am delighted she agreed to do the following interview (conducted in an email.)

Denis: Can you tell our readers—your fellow writers—what your book is about and why you were impelled to write it? What was d...

Not Telling the Truth in a Memoir Can Stop Your Writing

Not telling the truth in a memoir is a great way to block your writing

Many writers say they suffer from writer’s block, yet few understand that they are unable to write easily because they are is not telling the truth in a memoir. Good memoir writing depends on telling the truth.

There are a number of reasons that create difficulty in writing. I don’t want to overuse the term writer’s block because I don’t believe much in it and have seen that the famous writer’s block has been made to an...