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Writing True Stories: The complete guide to writing autobiography, memoir, personal essay, biography, travel and creative nonfiction
The complete guide to writing autobiography, memoir, personal essay, biography, travel and creative nonfiction.
Writing True Stories is the essential book for anyone who has ever wanted to write a memoir or explore the wider territory of creative nonfiction. It provides practical guidance and inspiration on a vast array of writing topics, including how to access memories, find a narrative voice, build a vivid world on the page, create structure, use research-and face the difficulties of truth-telling.
This book introduces and develops key writing skills, and then challenges more experienced writers to extend their knowledge and practice of the genre into literary nonfiction, true crime, biography, the personal essay, and travel and sojourn writing. Whether you want to write your own autobiography, investigate a wide-ranging political issue or bring to life an intriguing history, this book will be your guide.
Writing True Stories is practical and easy to use as well as an encouraging and insightful companion on the writing journey. Written in a warm, clear and engaging style, it will get you started on the story you want to write-and keep you going until you reach the end.
'A rich, practical and accessible source of wisdom ... the complete tool kit.' Caroline Baum
'Patti is the writing whisperer! She taught me how to stop daydreaming and to get writing. I couldn't have written my memoir without her!' Jessica Rowe
Writing True Stories is the essential book for anyone who has ever wanted to write a memoir or explore the wider territory of creative nonfiction. It provides practical guidance and inspiration on a vast array of writing topics, including how to access memories, find a narrative voice, build a vivid world on the page, create structure, use research-and face the difficulties of truth-telling.
This book introduces and develops key writing skills, and then challenges more experienced writers to extend their knowledge and practice of the genre into literary nonfiction, true crime, biography, the personal essay, and travel and sojourn writing. Whether you want to write your own autobiography, investigate a wide-ranging political issue or bring to life an intriguing history, this book will be your guide.
Writing True Stories is practical and easy to use as well as an encouraging and insightful companion on the writing journey. Written in a warm, clear and engaging style, it will get you started on the story you want to write-and keep you going until you reach the end.
'A rich, practical and accessible source of wisdom ... the complete tool kit.' Caroline Baum
'Patti is the writing whisperer! She taught me how to stop daydreaming and to get writing. I couldn't have written my memoir without her!' Jessica Rowe
- GenresWritingNonfiction
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2017
18 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 4, 2022
Another fabulous book about writing or the creative process. These are my favourite quotes:
"Children love to hear stories of their own escapades even before they can properly tell them themselves."
and
"Stories tell us what kind of peole we are, how we imagine ourselves....Stories are the warp and weft of a sense of personal self. Our stories create us. "
and
"it's easy to become hooked on research....I suggest that you write and research at the same time."
Yay. Permission granted.
Such useful information contained herein. Having borrowed and read the library version, I now want to buy a copy of my own and work my way through all the exercises a bit like Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. I'd like to explore narrative points such as "loss of a parent, introduction of an evil force....contest for love...a journey" and objects...landscapes and characters in my family history writing.
Cretive nonfiction, literary nonfiction, narrative non-fiction - so many titles for what we love best.
Thank you Patti. I have your latest book beside the bed so look forward to reading that too.
I attended a writing seminar at GSQ today with so many inspiring speakers namely Kate Simpson who wrote Anzac Girl - a picture book for kids about the diaries of nurse Alice Ross-King. I need to borrow that and have a look at it. Also another very interesting PhD candidate, Indiyana Horobin who is writing an inter-generation familial war story. Such generous souls. I feel rich indeed.
"Children love to hear stories of their own escapades even before they can properly tell them themselves."
and
"Stories tell us what kind of peole we are, how we imagine ourselves....Stories are the warp and weft of a sense of personal self. Our stories create us. "
and
"it's easy to become hooked on research....I suggest that you write and research at the same time."
Yay. Permission granted.
Such useful information contained herein. Having borrowed and read the library version, I now want to buy a copy of my own and work my way through all the exercises a bit like Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. I'd like to explore narrative points such as "loss of a parent, introduction of an evil force....contest for love...a journey" and objects...landscapes and characters in my family history writing.
Cretive nonfiction, literary nonfiction, narrative non-fiction - so many titles for what we love best.
Thank you Patti. I have your latest book beside the bed so look forward to reading that too.
I attended a writing seminar at GSQ today with so many inspiring speakers namely Kate Simpson who wrote Anzac Girl - a picture book for kids about the diaries of nurse Alice Ross-King. I need to borrow that and have a look at it. Also another very interesting PhD candidate, Indiyana Horobin who is writing an inter-generation familial war story. Such generous souls. I feel rich indeed.
May 1, 2019
At first I thought I was moving through this book quickly, understanding what Miller was saying and grappling with her lessons. But by the fourth chapter I realized I was actually skimming through the text, treating it as if it were a nagging teacher getting through the school year. Writing True Stories is uninteresting, strangely paced, and unhelpful.
More often than not, I noticed awkward mechanics in Miller's language: "The unfolding of an idea is a strong structure as you will only select those experiences that help with the unfolding of the idea" (Miller, 96-97). There are also grammatical and punctuation errors in the book, almost as if Miller nor the editor didn't want to proofread this. I reread many pretentious sentences that were trying to be mysteriously artistic, and it damaged my experience.
Many writing books are written by older white men, and I want to include more women and people of color in my education. But this book is not fun to read. It's a disappointing and soulless textbook.
There are hidden gems within the text, though. Miller's love for writing does bud through her boring word walls on occasion, but not enough for me to give this book a higher rating. Many of the writing prompts she gives are interesting topics, but this is part of the journey where she is most absent. She is too distant from the reader, and too close to the "curriculum" of writing. This book falls short, and I'm sad to say that it was a waste of my time.
More often than not, I noticed awkward mechanics in Miller's language: "The unfolding of an idea is a strong structure as you will only select those experiences that help with the unfolding of the idea" (Miller, 96-97). There are also grammatical and punctuation errors in the book, almost as if Miller nor the editor didn't want to proofread this. I reread many pretentious sentences that were trying to be mysteriously artistic, and it damaged my experience.
Many writing books are written by older white men, and I want to include more women and people of color in my education. But this book is not fun to read. It's a disappointing and soulless textbook.
There are hidden gems within the text, though. Miller's love for writing does bud through her boring word walls on occasion, but not enough for me to give this book a higher rating. Many of the writing prompts she gives are interesting topics, but this is part of the journey where she is most absent. She is too distant from the reader, and too close to the "curriculum" of writing. This book falls short, and I'm sad to say that it was a waste of my time.
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February 23, 2022Writing True Stories by author Patti Miller, is a gem!!!
It was the “text” book for our Memoir Writing group in Paris (pre-works shut down)😄
Such a valuable reference book, clearly written & it deals beautifully with many writer’s questions & struggles.
Love “Writing True Stories” & keep buying copies as gifts for my writer friends. They’ve all been enthusiastically received & appreciated!!!
As one writing friend said…it gave her a “kick in the pants” to get back to writing…& to embrace courage & not feel crippled by fear of rejection…🦋
It was the “text” book for our Memoir Writing group in Paris (pre-works shut down)😄
Such a valuable reference book, clearly written & it deals beautifully with many writer’s questions & struggles.
Love “Writing True Stories” & keep buying copies as gifts for my writer friends. They’ve all been enthusiastically received & appreciated!!!
As one writing friend said…it gave her a “kick in the pants” to get back to writing…& to embrace courage & not feel crippled by fear of rejection…🦋
May 27, 2023
Every writer can learn something from this book, as all stories carry some truth in them. The exercises would help the beginner practice new skills, especially those wanting to write memoir... which is so much more than a chronological description of someone's life, and must be approached in the same way as any other story.
April 17, 2020
one of the few books that are actually worth buying on Memoir writing. It was worth every penny. Gold dust advice
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February 18, 2023p28
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December 3, 2024I didn't actually finish this book because I learned that there is now a second edition, so I skipped over to that, and gave away my copy of the first edition.
September 14, 2020
Having read The Memoir Book a few decades ago, and attending a class run by Patti at the same time, I knew she had a lot of great insights about writing an autobiography/memoir. As I have been stuck in the middle of mine for a couple of months, I thought I should revisit Patti’s secrets; she provides excellent tips and support. I feel reinvigorated to continue my own writing journey, armed with tools to recover lost and foggy memories, and deal with truths that may be unpalatable to those who may find their way into my book.
May 23, 2019
Why would anyone want to hear my story?
Patti Miller addresses this and other myths writers tell themselves that block their Life Writing. This book is packed full of practical writing exercises designed to pull the lived experience out of you and onto the page. There are sections devoted to challenges such as structure, voice, narration and point of view. Different styles of Life Writing are explored, as well as the 'borderlands' of truth telling and fiction.
It was an entertaining read too. Patti Miller illustrates the intimate world of Life Writing in an engaging way. I kept thinking 'oh I need to know this!' Lots of excerpts from various authors entertained me all through the book. Prior to reading this book I was a little stumped as to how to bring my broken pieces of memoir together. But here I found all the information I need to move forward into Life Writing.
Patti Miller addresses this and other myths writers tell themselves that block their Life Writing. This book is packed full of practical writing exercises designed to pull the lived experience out of you and onto the page. There are sections devoted to challenges such as structure, voice, narration and point of view. Different styles of Life Writing are explored, as well as the 'borderlands' of truth telling and fiction.
It was an entertaining read too. Patti Miller illustrates the intimate world of Life Writing in an engaging way. I kept thinking 'oh I need to know this!' Lots of excerpts from various authors entertained me all through the book. Prior to reading this book I was a little stumped as to how to bring my broken pieces of memoir together. But here I found all the information I need to move forward into Life Writing.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews