Denis Ledoux's Blog, page 52

Motivation to Complete A Memoir

All writers face the atrophy of motivation to complete a memoir that seems to come with writing a long literary work over months and months and even over a period of years.

Let’s face it: writing can be hard and discouraging. The most interesting of topics (at least they seemed so at one time) may grow stale and uninteresting as you write and rewrite (and ask yourself who would possibly want to read it). Writers rightfully want to know what they can do to get back in the groove of productio...

But Is It a Memoir?

Memoir or Autobiographical Fiction?

Memoir or autobiographical fiction—what’s the difference? I have been reading a memoir that has been doing well here in Maine (it’s by an excellent Maine writer)–I can’t vouch for its reach in the rest of the country. It was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt so I can only presume it is receiving support elsewhere.

It’s an interesting book, very well-written in terms of style and organization, but my nagging doubt is that it is autobiographical fictio...

What I Do to Stay in the Memoir-Writing Conversation

How To Stay Involved in the Memoir Writing Conversation Keeping The Conversation Going Can Be Helpful Unless You keep Yourself Motivated

I hope you’ll find these suggestions helpful.

1. I read professional journals. Poets and Writers from cover to cover. Other people read The Writer’s Digest or The Writer. I receive the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance e-newsletter weekly. It’s a membership newsletter and comes chock full of news about what other writers are doing, readings schedules, an...

Ten Questions On Memoir Writing

Questions On Memoir Writing

The following interview with me appeared in the Nov. 19, 2010, Oral History Education blog, and was later published in 2013.  Over the years, these questions on memoir writing still rank as some of the most common questions I receive, and I have to say, the answers haven’t changed either–enjoy!

1. How did you get started in your profession of memoir writing?

I started writing autobiography-based fiction. Some of these have won literary awards, and, while I like t...

Becoming an American–why not?

Becoming an American — why not?

Stories about immigration and citizenship form the backbone of our great American story as much today as in past times. Here is an excerpt about becoming American from We Were Not Spoiled, the memoir of Lucille Verreault Ledoux as told to Denis Ledoux.

My father had not come to the US to stay but that’s what happened. Working here to support his family and buying an apartment building that was his family’s home, it must have seemed obvious to him that this is...

Three Causes of “Writer’s Block”

Many writers suffer from writer’s block, yet few understand its possible causes. Memoir writing certainly has its difficulties which can create it. There are a number of reasons that contribute to difficulty in writing.

1. In memoir writing, “writer’s block” can be the result of dealing with uncomfortable material. Perhaps you haven’t admitted to yourself the importance of your topic or you are not yet telling the truth about it. What are you evading? What is the worst consequence that coul...

Rework Your Story to Get More Show and Less Tell

Get More Show and Less Tell in Your Memoir

There are ways to rework your stories so that you can minimize “telling” and maximize “showing.” The biggest “telling” offense against more show and less tell is perhaps the overuse of descriptive adjectives and adverbs.

Adjectives and adverbs often tell the reader what to feel or how to interpret the story instead of evoking that feeling and interpretation. While adjectives may seem to add color and movement and insight to a scene or description,...

Retiring to Memoir Writing: Justine Powell Kuntz

[image error]

An Article by Justine Powell Kuntz

Editor’s note: We came across this guest article published by Justine Kuntz back in 2013, and were so taken with her story of retiring to memoir writing that we decided to publish it again. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did, and that it inspires reflections on your own life and memoir.

Eight years ago as a retirement project for church, I introduced memoir writing at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton, FL. Earlier, after twenty-two years of...

Avoid Cliches and Stereotypes

You can avoid cliches and stereotypes.

If you do not avoid cliches and stereotypes, you will undermine the unique and personal feel of your memoir. Cliches and stereotypes place people in often erroneous and certainly indefensible categories. As short-hand ways of writing and speaking, they reflect ready-made thoughts and adversely affect the ways we relate to our families and friends as unique individuals and how we write about them.

“She was a mother-hen–you know how mothers are!”

“My fat...

Three Tips For Using Fiction Techniques in a Memoir

Why Insert Fiction Techniques in a Memoir?

We all love well-told stories. We love the entertainment, the sound effects, the punchy plot built around solid characterization. As we share stories in our everyday conversations, we inevitably use fiction techniques to keep our listeners’ attention and interest. When we say “And then she said…,” we are using dialogue – that’s using fiction techniques in a memoir.

In our memoir writing, we will often veer toward the same techniques fiction writers...