Denis Ledoux's Blog, page 66

I Finish A Sugary Frosting: Notes on the Memoir Writing Process

The memoir writing process can be simple.

I am in the very last days of polishing A Sugary Frosting / A Memoir of a Girlhood Spent in a Parsonage, the early lifestory of my deceased spouse, Martha Blowen. It’s a time to make sure I have written what I want to write and to check grammar and spelling before it goes out to a copy editor.

I had promised Martha that I would write her stories so that our grandchildren would know something about her. In May 2015, I began gathering the stories sh...

Is this really a memoir? You tell me…

I wrote a lengthy reply to Gayle to her question concerning my recent post, “Another Memoir Finished: What Was the Writing Process?”

She asked a legitimate question about whether A Sugary Frosting is really a memoir: “Can you call it a memoir when you embellish the writings of your wife and even added stories that she told never wrote?”

If you haven’t read her question in its entirety (much longer than I provide here) and my response, I hope you will as it addresses an important considerati...

Teaching Memoir Writing – 3 Tips For Making Your Vision Real

Teaching Memoir Writing – Your Vision Can Become Real

Writing a vision statement can be stimulating for you as a teacher. Your memoir writing company’s vision statement is a personal reminder you make to yourself about how the work you are planning will sustain you emotionally and make you into a better person. A vision statement is usually about the person writing it. (The mission statement, on the other hand, is about what you will give to the public.)

Here are some ideas for writing a gr...

Another Memoir Finished: What Was the Writing Process?

Another Memoir Finished: What Was the Memoir Writing Process?

I am in the very last days of polishing A Sugary Frosting / A Memoir of a Girlhood Spent in a Parsonage, the early lifestory of my deceased spouse, Martha Blowen. It’s a time to make sure I have written what I want to write and to check grammar and spelling before it goes out to a copy editor.

I had promised Martha that I would write her stories so that our grandchildren would know something about her. In May 2015, I began gather...

Launching Memoir Teaching – 6 Steps To More Success

Launching Memoir Teaching– 6 Stepsto More Success

Many memoir writers secretly, or not so secretly, want to help other people to write their memoirs. Sometime 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.

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 lasted these many years.

If you w...

Working With a Memoir Professional Gets You A Finished Memoir

Working With a Memoir Professional Gets You A Finished Memoir

We all wear many hats as we go through our days. In my case, I am a writer, a memoirist, a teacher, a coach, an editor, a co-author, a book publisher, and finally, a small business person. I wear those hats with pride and, I hope, some accomplishment.

Beyond these, I wear other hats as all of you do also. One is that of an athlete of sorts: there has been swimming, jogging, and weight lifting.

Pick me up by some feat of magic an...

Truth in Memoir – Three Tips For Including Safe “Guess-timates”

Truth in Memoir – Three Tips For Including Safe “Guess-timates”

When writing a memoir or family history, you will inevitably come across bits of information that you want to include, but which you cannot verify. Once you have ascertained all the facts that can be checked, other truths may become evident. But these truths may not be of the sort that anyone can authenticate. For instance, you believe your parents were not in love with one another. Can this be proved. Not likely. All you can d...

How to Know if You Have the Right Memoir Coach

Evaluate your writing coach prospect to ascertain you are choosing the right memoir coach for you. This article contains evaluation guidelines centered on the availability of the right memoir coach.

1. Can your coach work with you so that you meet your deadline?

As you develop your memoir project, you may become aware of a natural deadline, such as a family reunion or a birthday. The right memoir coach for you will be able to meet your date. This deadline should be discussed before you and...

Best Memoir Writing Posts of 2015 – Part 3

Of the hundreds of blog posts on the Memoir Writer’s Blog—almost 500 to be exact as of the end of 2015—some have proven to be favorites. Below are three more of those articles in 2015 which ranked in the top-ten most-visited posts: you can call these our best memoir writing posts.

We hope you enjoy reading—and benefit from—this year’s best memoir writing posts as much as our other writers have. And…

Once you have read them, why not go on to read the other hundreds of posts? They are free an...

When Should You Start Working With a Coach?

When is the best time to start working with a memoir coach?

The obvious answer is when you feel the need to, but “the need to” is not always obvious. Many times, writers will decide that they need to submit polished material to a coach and so will put off the coaching process. This is akin to putting off going to the doctor until when you are feeling healthy or putting off getting cleaning help until you have cleaned the house.

Difference between working with an editor and working with a co...