How to write a memoir

[Katherine]

Hi, everyone,

I'd like to introduce myself -- I'm the author of a memoir about recovering from emotional abuse, The Box of Daughter. It's great to have a group here just for memoir authors!

I've also just published a book on writing memoir, called "What's Your Story? - A Quick Guide to Writing Your Memoir." This guide (on Amazon Kindle and to be published in paperback in future) can help you make your next memoir, and all of your writing, more compelling.

Wishing everyone happy writing!

Katherine Mayfield
Author of The Box of Daughter, Bullied, and Stand Your Ground: How to Cope with a Dysfunctional Family and Recover from Trauma

[Russ]

Katherine
Thanks. People have asked me about writing their own memoirs, this will be a good direction to point them.
Russ WoodyHeroic Heart: A Story of Fathers and Sons

[Lucinda]

I will also keep a look out for your book

[Katherine]

Russ wrote: "Katherine
Thanks. People have asked me about writing their own memoirs, this will be a good direction to point them.
Russ WoodyHeroic Heart: A Story of Fathers and Sons"

Thank you, Russ -- I would appreciate that! I believe there's more to writing a compelling memoir than most people think. Like writing anything else, it's a process of crafting the story to make it as compelling as possible, and learning to use a new skill set.

Thanks for your post! Here's the link again if you need it.

http://ow.ly/BVDld
Katherine

[Katherine]

Thanks, Lucinda. I would love to have a review if you get a chance to read it.

Happy Writing!
Katherine

[Lucinda]

Katherine, I've put it on my shelf to read. I would like to and of course I will give it a review.

[Katherine]

Thanks, Lucinda! Have a lovely autumn.

Katherine

[Lucinda]

You too.

[CeeCee]

Congratulations Katherine. Wishing you tons of success. I have to say, if you get a chance check out Lucinda's book. I think the cover is her profile pic. It's great!

[Lehel]

Probably one of the most difficult parts of the process is the finding of the balance between the personal feelings and the detachment (or self-distancing) needed for the presentation of the memories. The latter needs to involve a lucid filtering / selection of what is relevant to another reader, a structuring of the material, and as some stated, the crafting . tailoring of the "story".
In the case of fiction, the latter is perhaps easier as the personal detachment may be a given; in the case of a memoir however, it can be a difficult exercise in keeping subjective impulses under control.

[CeeCee]

I agree Lehel! So painful! I could tell the more painful events in my life because my description of them was very short, and I had the most grammatical errors there, despite rereading them. It's like, even in editing, I couldn't "see the problem," because I glanced through it. So thankful for my editor and other people who've helped me through!