Allison K. Williams's Blog, page 21

A Graveyard of Pitches

By Chelsey Drysdale

In the past, I traditionally would write an essay before trying to publish it, rather than relying on a pitch. One reason was that my writing often morphed into work that didn’t fully resemble my original plan, so selling a “newsy concept” in a brief e-mail didn’t seem to make sense.

But after months—or years—of toiling over personal essays with the goal of building that infamous “platform,” so one day an editor will say “yes” to my memoir manuscript, which, at eleve...

Ménage à Trois: How Writing in Three Forms Illuminated One Essay

By Charlotte Wilkins

Every couple of months I excavate forgotten fragments of sheer brilliance scrawled on paper scraps, backs of envelopes, and yes, tea-stained napkins, all buried at bottom of my tote basket. When scribbled, I was sure they were the opening lines of essays the world needed to read. But by the time I unearth them, the fossilized brownie crumbs scattered among them were more enticing.

Most of those long-forgottens were castoffs from my memoir-in-progress. I have a list ...

Writing a Memoir That Sells: You Need a Mullet

By Allison K Williams

As an editor and writing coach, I hear from many writers with intriguing family histories. Mom has a great life story. They’ve found a cache of grandparents’ beautifully written love letters. They want to preserve meaningful, generational stories from the town in which they grew up.

These are the literary equivalent of a bouffant hairstyle. Delightful to look at, and from the front, you’ve seen it all.

Family and community histories are valuable and worth writin...

I Can’t Write That. Someone’s Already Done It.

By Sarah Boon

One of the biggest roadblocks to writing is our internalized idea that it won’t be “new,” that other people have written about it before—and we suspect they have done a better job than we ever will. We worry that readers will think we’re copying other writers, or that the idea has been written to death and won’t appeal.

Five years ago I had a career stumble that stemmed from this roadblock. I was approached by an excellent magazine to write a feature on one of two topics. ...

Hook, Heighten, Hold: How to Captivate Readers in Your First Pages

By Allison K Williams

I’ve written before about what to include in your first pages and what not to. First pages should establish the author’s voice, the theme of the book, a protagonist we want to spend time with, and kick off the quest. Many writers start their books at the Passover Question: “Why is this night different than all other nights?” Then I saw a discussion on Reddit about making great YouTube videos, and learned something powerful and new about beginnings:

Successful vid...

How to Write the Story You’re Afraid to Write (in 13 Non-Linear Steps)

By Arya Samuelson

1. Surround yourself with allies. Call in the rocks, the violets, the bird nests, your favorite grandmother’s ring. But don’t forget – writing transcends metaphysics. What about calling in the loving gaze of your childhood dog, or that sunset you watched from the hill back in college, or the memory of your favorite sweater on your skin now shredded to softness? Shroud yourself in comforts.

2. Fill your bookshelves with the writers who give you courage. Write down favo...

Sick of Your Memoir? 5 Hacks to Make it Feel New Again

By Katie Bannon

So you’ve finished a(nother) draft of your memoir…now what?

If you’re anything like me, you’ve reread your words so many times they barely make sense anymore. Your prose might be gorgeous, or utter garbage, and as much as you thought you knew about “good” writing, you honestly can’t tell which. This is where obsession takes over, making us want to tear up the pages or tear out our hair. Where we’re so sick of our own stories and words that revision feels like running in ...

Are Memoirs “Impossible to Sell”? Only If Narrowly Defined

By Allison K Williams

Last week, Canadian magazine The Walrus published “Memoirs Are Almost Impossible to Sell” by Tajja Isen. “Publishers are turning away from personal stories. Have readers stopped caring about each other’s lives?” the subhead asks. Isen describes the New York Times Book Review’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century poll as heavily favoring literary fiction, and decries the inclusion of only seven memoirs:

This paucity of first-person storytelling is striking. Among th...

How They Did It: Creating Tension with POV in Master Slave Husband Wife

By Caitlin Wahrer

When I checked out Master Slave Husband Wife, the biography of an enslaved American couple who emancipated themselves in 1848, I expected a history lesson. I did not expect suspense lessons, but biographer Ilyon Woo surprised me. In telling the story of Ellen and William Craft, Woo employed a number of tricks I’ve seen in thrillers, mysteries, and suspense, and she kept me rapt for over 400 pages.

Woo opens with an author’s note that functioned, for me, like a scintill...

On Building a House (And a Book) in the Dark

By Brian Rendell

I love houses with character.

A century home with unexpected nooks and odd rooflines, plus a built-in customized bookshelf? — Yes, please.

You say it features a secret door leading to a private library with a fireplace, and a stained-glass window?  — I’ll take it!

While I’ve never designed or built a house, I appreciate the time, care and expertise required to do so, especially a house with unique architectural features.

But imagine for a moment designing, the...