I'm hoping someone can help me with my "memoir". Is there anybody here that knows about writing memoirs?
Memoirs
- Thread starter ToTestify
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Welcome 
There's a memoir and biography forum here http://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=42
~Amber~
There's a memoir and biography forum here http://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=42
~Amber~
Don't forget to read the Newbie's Guide and enjoy AW
Members who want to start a thread in Share Your Work to have work critiqued need
50 posts. So take some time to read the stickies, greet fellow newbies, critique other members’
works, or join a discussion.
I have passes for the pool on the roof, only $10
You can check out the Forum on Memoirs
Welcome to AW. Hope you enjoy your stay with us.
How do you like your popcorn?
If you go to the bottom of the page to the ‘forum jump’ you can scroll down and find all the areas of this place. Most of the SYW areas require the password of ….vista. A word to the wise, (50 posts), it would be a good idea to participate first in helping others before you think about posting your own work. After you have been around here for awhile, then post something of your own for help. Good luck.
How do you like your popcorn?
If you go to the bottom of the page to the ‘forum jump’ you can scroll down and find all the areas of this place. Most of the SYW areas require the password of ….vista. A word to the wise, (50 posts), it would be a good idea to participate first in helping others before you think about posting your own work. After you have been around here for awhile, then post something of your own for help. Good luck.
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Thank you all for your warm welcome. I did see that I have to have 50 posts before I can share my work for critiquing. Thanks for making sure I saw that.
I won't have any help to offer, I am entirely to new to this whole writing business to be of any use to anybody. But I am certain I will have more than my fair share of questions to reach that 50 mark.
I won't have any help to offer, I am entirely to new to this whole writing business to be of any use to anybody. But I am certain I will have more than my fair share of questions to reach that 50 mark.
Greetings and welcome to the watercooler 
Take a wander around the various forums, there's lots to see and lots to learn, and even some fun threads too. Come along and pop on over to the Newbie Pub (at the top of the Newbie forum) and say hi, there's plenty of friendly faces that you can chat with and lots of banter. There's also the Question of the Day threads at the top of the Newbie forum where you can answer random questions.
Don't forget to read the newbie guide, and if you want to know what all the buttons mean check out this thread.
Take a wander around the various forums, there's lots to see and lots to learn, and even some fun threads too. Come along and pop on over to the Newbie Pub (at the top of the Newbie forum) and say hi, there's plenty of friendly faces that you can chat with and lots of banter. There's also the Question of the Day threads at the top of the Newbie forum where you can answer random questions.
Don't forget to read the newbie guide, and if you want to know what all the buttons mean check out this thread.
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My first thought is to write it as you would tell the story of your life while waiting for the supper table to be at set at a family get-together.
Make it interesting by telling the story about your Uncle Casper, who enjoys the sauce a wee bit too much and loses his way home in the evening. Oh yeah, and the story about Cousin Lemuel, the one with ten toes -- seven on the left foot.
Don't write Aunt Bess' recipe for her sweet potato pie unless she gives you written permission -- Cousin Charlotte published Aunt Bess' recipe for her Dandelion wine without permission and Charlotte ain't been seen around lately.
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My biggest piece of advice for writing a good memoir is to read a bunch of other people's memoirs. Good ones. Get a feel for the genre as a whole, what has been done, the conventions. Learn what a memoir is, then figure out what you have to offer to it other than an interesting story. (Yes, the interesting story is part of it, but there are a lot of things about memoir that are just as formal craft-wise as there are any other genre of writing.)
I've written one memoir, not published yet, and I'm working on my second one. The most important thing I've learned about writing memoir is that your subject has probably been done a hundred times already-SO you have to write yours with a new twist, something that hasn't been done and will make your story stand out compared to the rest. Sometimes you think you've got THAT story only to learn halfway through writing your own that it's already been done.
I recommend going to your local major bookstore and find the memoir section. Look at all the books on the shelves and try to figure out where yours would fit in. Does it fit in at all? Is it something that's been done a million times? Is there a particular theme to your memoir that is missing from the rest?
Memoir can be hard to write: emotionally, physically, mentally, and yes, even financially with the risk of being sued. So make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before going ahead with your idea.
Oh, and by the way, WELCOME!!! (I'm relatively new too!)
Thanks,
Robin
I recommend going to your local major bookstore and find the memoir section. Look at all the books on the shelves and try to figure out where yours would fit in. Does it fit in at all? Is it something that's been done a million times? Is there a particular theme to your memoir that is missing from the rest?
Memoir can be hard to write: emotionally, physically, mentally, and yes, even financially with the risk of being sued. So make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before going ahead with your idea.
Oh, and by the way, WELCOME!!! (I'm relatively new too!)
Thanks,
Robin