Today's Life Stories to Practice for Yesteryear's?

jerrywaxler · Oct 4, 2009

Many memoir writers have been in training for years, and in their memoirs they occasionally drop hints about how they learned their craft. One example was John Grogan (author of Marley and Me) who confided that one of the secrets of his storytelling success was his job working for a newspaper. He was tasked with looking around town and finding a story for his weekly column. I can't imagine any better preparation.

Another tip I saw in Tony Cohan's "Native State", the author practices scene sketches in his journal. It has always sounded like a cool idea. Think of a scene from the day and write about it as an exercise. But for some reason I was never able to force myself to do it.

Recently I discovered a variation on this trick. I wrote about a vacation experience and posted it on my blog. It's good practice for writing scenes and stories, and at the same time connects me with my memoir writing audience.

(If you are interested in reading my practice story about my horseback ride in the Rocky Mountains, : Click here.)

I'd love to know if any of you have any other strategies for practicing story or scene writing.

Jerry

sommemi · Oct 7, 2009

Actually, this is an AWESOME way to practice! I think that's why there are so many blogs out there today... I mean, who doesn't like hearing about a quaint little tale that happened to you 'on the way to work' today or something? Sometimes a little short story is nice to read, or HEAR for that matter. It's the equivalent of the water cooler where people stand around and start their stories with "I gotta tell you what happened the other day!" or "You're not gonna believe what happened at the grocery store last night!" or "Ironic? You haven't even BEGUN to hear ironic... the other day when I was taking the dog for a walk...."

I think people who are great at telling stories like that make for AWESOME memoir writers. Mostly, that's what encouraged me to do this. I actually have another discussion board that I hang out on where we all have children who were due/born in the same month. We share stories of our kids, our days, etc. We've grown SOOO close. It's a sisterhood really... and when something happens, it's kind of like our blog. So when people would mention how they love the way I tell a story, it made me feel good about my writing and more confident about being able to tell my Dad's story the right way too.

Any chance anyone wants to start a "Weekly Column" thread? We could treat it like a newspaper and whenever we want to practice our craft, we can post a brief 'article' about something newsworthy that happened around us!

Honestly, I do this alot on my other board too, but I think I'd like to get feedback from other writers about HOW I tell the story, not just the story itself. Ya know?

Bluegate · Oct 7, 2009

Hmm. I think that is what I do with my blog. I just about always write about that day. It rarely is about some particular chain of events but rather about how I interpreted life through that day. The events or stuff is really just a prop or launch point. Oh, hell. I still can't figure out how to describe the darn thing. I've only submitted it to one place that didn't need a category and description.
If we did this weekly round-up could we include a blog entry if it fit the criteria or would it need to be exclusive to the thread? What I write in my blog is nowhere near what I am writing for my memior. Not even close. But it does sound like it fits your suggestions.

jerrywaxler · Oct 8, 2009

What is a weekly column thread and how do we start?

Hi Somemi,

I started my journey in writing decades ago as so-not-a-storyteller. I've been dabbling and learning about storytelling for years and gradually seeing my skill improve. And as in any sort of writing, practice continues to improve the craft.

So what are you proposing? How would a story thread work?

Jerry

Ritergal · Oct 9, 2009

About three years ago I read Laurie Jakiela's memoir Miss New York Has Everything. I was struck by Laurie's skill at stringing together snippets of story ranging from two or three paragraphs to a few pages to create a coherent, themed chapter. My very favorite chapter recounts a time when her father's sister came to visit. This aunt was an alcoholic, drug-addicted nun, who occasionally got sent outside the convent walls to dry out. Laurie threaded a dozen vignettes onto the thread of that visit. The story bead that stands out in my mind was a trip to Pittsburgh's Civic Arena a couple of years earlier to hear a Sean Cassidy concert. She made that precious pearl relevant to the nun's visit.

I've read dozens of memoirs, each with its own special sparkle, but I have yet to find one that so well exemplifies the art of synthesizing diverse memories. You can find it here.

Ritergal · Oct 9, 2009

I see some difference between the form a story takes to slip it onto the thread of a longer narrative, or to casually recount it in a blog, and the form it might take as a free-standing story that could be submitted for publication or to a contest. It's not so important to have a well-baited hook for a component story, but a stand-alone definitely needs one, and that hook may come from deep inside the story. Stand-alones lack the context of the larger narrative's background and characters.

So I totally agree with the use of blogs as daily journals and their value for practicing writing skills, but encourage people to keep purpose in mind. The same material can be conveyed in dozens of different ways, depending on the needs of the moment.

sommemi · Oct 9, 2009

Bluegate said:
Hmm. I think that is what I do with my blog. I just about always write about that day. It rarely is about some particular chain of events but rather about how I interpreted life through that day. The events or stuff is really just a prop or launch point. Oh, hell. I still can't figure out how to describe the darn thing. I've only submitted it to one place that didn't need a category and description.
If we did this weekly round-up could we include a blog entry if it fit the criteria or would it need to be exclusive to the thread? What I write in my blog is nowhere near what I am writing for my memior. Not even close. But it does sound like it fits your suggestions.

I think it would be fine to 'double-post' a blog in here too. I am thinking if you spent the time to write it, with the goal of trying to practice your memoir-writing skills, then it's your property and your hard work. Post it where you want to! I don't mind at all... I do the same thing... I used to blog all the time and it was pretty much my interpretation of my thoughts for the day. But I think for me, what I need practice on is how to describe actual events in a readable manner... not just free-flowing thought for the day (which is what my blogs used to be).

sommemi · Oct 9, 2009

NEWSPAPER: "Memoir Weekly Times"

jerrywaxler said:
So what are you proposing? How would a story thread work?

Jerry

I'm thinking... maybe a sticky thread...
And each of us just chooses one particular thing from the week to post. You can post it that day, or post it that weekend, or post it that next week... but the "Title:" of your post would simply be the Date that the event occured. No real comments on the post/thread about it, just lots of posts that kind of read like a lot of newspaper articles... but on a more personal level/perspective, not so much disconnected third-party articles.

Then, if you wanted to make a comment about how someone's particular thread turned out, just send them a rep point with the comment about how you felt about it, or with a mini-crit. Ya know?

Almost like a continuous "Share-your-work" thread without all the comments. Like making a newspaper that is just about yourself or what happens around you. But more or less once-a-week posting for each person. (Or once-you-get-time posting, since a lot of us have our slow weeks. lol *cough*)

Whatcha think?

jerrywaxler · Oct 9, 2009

Fascinating... a couple of questions for you (or should I say "ya")

So the "newspaper" would be a sticky thread. Do we have to request a sticky thread from the moderator?

I wouldn't limit the subject line being just a date. I like titles which turn out to be an integrated part of the article, because the title sets up expectations that the story then needs to fulfill, so learning good titles is part of what we're practicing IMO.

What's a rep-point?

I like the pure concept of no comments, just stories. But how would you remind people to stick with that? Is there a way to be a moderator of the sticky thread, to coach and coax people to follow the exercise? I've never done anything like this on AbsoluteWrite. If it's doable, I like the way you're suggesting to extend the value of the forum to help us get some practice.

Just today (whew) I started talking to a guy at the gym - I asked him a couple of questions about his life and he told me this amazing fully formed story about attending the birth of his granddaughter. It was amazing. I went out to the car and tried to remember the whole thing. There are so many stories. Now I have to get good at writing them.

This is the first time I've ever seen a *cough* after an LOL. Nice touch.

Jerry

Bluegate · Oct 9, 2009

Ok, so we're talking Mini Memoirs, right? Memoir for a day. Makes me think of Cheech and Cong's "What I did for Summer Vacation" "I got up, I went downtown. I hung around the drugstore. Next day, I got up, I went downtown..." I going to go out on a limb here and suggest we're shooting for something just a little beyond that. Unless of course you really did get up, go downtown and hang around the drugstore. Just make it sound really cool and interesting?

PS. Should we start it out as a simple thread and see if we can keep it running first? Then ask a mod to "sticky" it? That's my lack of confidence talking there. LOL

jerrywaxler · Oct 10, 2009

More about the concept of a newspaper storytelling thread

I wouldn't limit the subject line being just a date. I like titles which turn out to be an integrated part of the article, because the title sets up expectations that the story then needs to fulfill, so learning good titles is part of what we're practicing IMO.

Doh. I just realized, somemi, you meant to create the *thread* with a date, and each individual post would still have a title. I never saw that before so I couldn't visualize it at first. It's a clever idea. An alternative, which I like a little better is to create a thread with a general topic, like "Family arguments" or "Stuff I saw today" or "Stories someone told me," or "Relationships" - etc. That way the various types of stories would be sort of grouped together. I think it would be a fascinating exercise. Actually we wouldn't have to make it sticky. If it was active enough, it would constantly rise to the top.

Jerry

jerrywaxler · Oct 10, 2009

Turn "went to town" into a story

Bluegate said:
Ok, so we're talking Mini Memoirs, right? Memoir for a day. Makes me think of Cheech and Cong's "What I did for Summer Vacation" "I got up, I went downtown. I hung around the drugstore. Next day, I got up, I went downtown..." LOL

Bluegate,

This "went into town" is missing the key elements of a story. The joke is that it's a send-up of a story. A "real" story has a protagonist trying to achieve an interesting goal, and having to overcome obstacles. "I went to town to meet my girl friend. I didn't tell her we were going to shop for a ring. But there was a traffic jam and my cell phone battery died, and when I got to the appointed place she was gone." etc.

The whole idea of mini-stories, or exercise stories is to write things that are interesting, along lines of storytelling. The beautiful thing about practicing in public is to see if we can entertain each other.

Jerry

Bluegate · Oct 10, 2009

It absolutely was a joke. It was Cheech and Chong! :hat:

sommemi · Oct 12, 2009

Bluegate said:
Ok, so we're talking Mini Memoirs, right? Memoir for a day. Makes me think of Cheech and Cong's "What I did for Summer Vacation" "I got up, I went downtown. I hung around the drugstore. Next day, I got up, I went downtown..." I going to go out on a limb here and suggest we're shooting for something just a little beyond that. Unless of course you really did get up, go downtown and hang around the drugstore. Just make it sound really cool and interesting?

PS. Should we start it out as a simple thread and see if we can keep it running first? Then ask a mod to "sticky" it? That's my lack of confidence talking there. LOL

Cant' help but sing in my head....
"Santa Claus, da guy wit da hairy jaws, walkin down da chreet wit no chooes on his feeeet...."
:roll:

ok - but yeah, that's pretty much it. But you make it totally interesting in "newspaper article" form. You guys know what I'm talking about!!!! lol

yeah - Ok, I can see doing different subjects... but I was honestly thinking about ONE thread... just naming the thread like a newspaper title, and then within the thread use the "title" line for the date. But I think I have a better idea... how bout I start a sample and you guys tell me what you think???

jerrywaxler · Oct 12, 2009

"Just do it?" or "Build it and they will come?"

sommemi said:
how bout I start a sample and you guys tell me what you think???

Go for it Sommemi. If your magic thread starting ability holds true we'll be flooded with entries.

Jerry

sommemi · Oct 12, 2009

America: You can do magic

jerrywaxler said:
Go for it Sommemi. If your magic thread starting ability holds true we'll be flooded with entries.

Jerry

"You can do magic
You can have anything that you desire
Magic, and you know
Youre the one who can put out the fire"

Ya'll are getting all KINDS of songs stuck in my head today!!!!! lol!

Today's Life Stories to Practice for Yesteryear's?

jerrywaxler

sommemi

Uses loquacious in sentences

Bluegate

Clearly has too much time on hand.

jerrywaxler

Ritergal

Ritergal

sommemi

Uses loquacious in sentences

sommemi

Uses loquacious in sentences

jerrywaxler

Bluegate

Clearly has too much time on hand.

jerrywaxler

jerrywaxler

Bluegate

Clearly has too much time on hand.

sommemi

Uses loquacious in sentences

jerrywaxler

sommemi

Uses loquacious in sentences

Today's Life Stories to Practice for Yesteryear's?

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