Need Some Feedback For a Memoir

I have no advice, but I think this would be an interesting memoir. It seems like such a lot for a nine year old to have to go through, and that always makes for good reading.

As for your depression, I would still include it somehow in your story, because it's part of what happened to you.

my memoir is about me going through childhood depression. i kept mine through my current eyes because im aiming mine for ya. is depends who your target audience is. if adult it could get annoying being is limited understaning at 9. maybe others can give more feedback.

i think all should be first past lol. i read one in present and it didnt make sense

Memories of childhood vary so much

Kyva,

It sounds like you have a profound set of memories from that time in your life. As a reader, I love an authentic child's voice. I think some of the best selling memoirs are so compelling at least in part because they took the reader so authentically inside a child's POV. Read Haven Kimmel's "Girl Named Zippy" for a wonderful child's voice. The vivid living-color scenes in Jeanette Walls' "Glass Castle" were clearly responsible for making it so successful.

So as soon as you get to the point where you trust your project is worthwhile, the next step is to get it on paper. As one of my writing mentors always said, until you have it on paper, you can't fix it.

Jerry

Reading memoirs helps

Speaking of writing mentors, one of my favorite lines is that reading is part of the writer's job. Reading memoirs is such a healthy thing, giving us tips for how other writers converted life into story, and helping us realize we're not alone.

Yes, I loved Lucky, too. Here's a link to an article I wrote about it.

Jerry

Hi Kyva.

My opinion is that if you write it with a similar "feel" as The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, it might have a good chance of finding a publisher or agent. That book, in my opinion, is captivating, but not so much because of what she endured, as much as how she wrote it.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "To Kill A Mockingbird." A wonderful story seen through a child's eyes.

jerrywaxler said:

Kyva,

As one of my writing mentors always said, until you have it on paper, you can't fix it.

Jerry

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Bingo! Write it the way you feel led to write it, and you can fix it later. The best writing advice I ever received was from a college English professor who said to never edit during the first draft.

I think you can sucessfully write it in the eyes of child. However, in order to pull it off, you would have to do it in a way that your market (adults) could relate with. Best of luck to you.

kyva said:

Thank you all so much for the support. Sorry for the late reply, October was a busy month. I've taken your suggestions and am actually working on my memoir for nano. I kept pushing it off, but being registered and having writing buddies makes it less likely to back out.

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I'm working on mine for Nano too. I'm Calimero over there. Good luck!

Your memoir sounds interesting. I think if you can capture your 9 yo voice and age that voice through the memoir, it will be even more memorable to the readers.
What is Nano? I've only been here a few days and I am still finding my way around.
BTW, I'm from PA too, outside Philly.

I think it looks very interesting. I've written a memoir and what worked best for me was to just write like I speak - as if I were telling the story.

Go for it - it doesn't seem too "narrow" to me.

Best.

Hi Kyva - Your story is poignant. I wrote mine in 3rd person and within that POV wrote as if it was happening now. Here's an example that might help you: [FONT=&quot]"Trancelike 50-year-old Riley Ekers reached for a brush. Hands that were not her own planted the stiff bristles firmly against her inner thighs and crosshatching the bruises that had already formed she dragged the bristles down to legs. She pruned her face against the pain and swallowed hard as the red tide ran down her ankles and disappeared into the drain. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In the security of her bedroom an odd sense of solitude came over her and she curled up on her bed. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“What’s going on? Where were you and why aren’t you at work?”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Riley sat up with a start when her mother barged through the door wearing an old muu’muu.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I barely slept for worrying about you. Where were you all night? I thought you were coming home after the office party.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I’m sorry, Mom. I should have called. I didn’t think I should be driving on the freeway so late so I stayed with a friend. How are you?” she asked displacing the spotlight.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“My hips are about killing me again. Anyway, I was going to call you at work to pick some things up for me.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I already called in sick so I won’t be going to the office today. I have a couple of things I need to do. Maybe you can get Blair to help.” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“You might be able to take the day the day off work but you can’t take the day off livin’. Later will be soon enough.” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]When her mother left her room Riley got up to close the door and went back to her bed. She pulled her pillow over her face and began to sob.”
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I would suggest you not try to cover too length a time. A 2-3 year period (like mine) is a big enough chunk, and 12 months would be better.
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Kudos for taking up this cross. I'll be thinking of you. Good luck!
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Your Memoir

I hope you've started your memoir by now. Your story sounds touching.

My advice is to just go ahead and write. I finally got to my memoirs after a long long wait-- about 20 years! Now some of the people I most wanted to share my writing with are no longer here to read my memoirs.

Good luck.

My memoirs, Growing Up Little, are complete and I'm searching for a publisher. I've had some rejects, been too obnoxiously persued by some self-publishers and am presently trying to find the best fit for me.

It seems finding a publisher may be the hardest job of all.

Deb

Sounds like an interesting story. I don't see anything wrong with writing from a nine year old POV. My memoir starts when I'm a similar age and goes through to adolescence.