YouDidit YourWay

ABookletofIdeason MemoirWriting
byMarjorieSimmins

Copyright MarjorieL.Simmins,2009. Allrightsreserved.

Contents
Chapter1:WhatisaMemoir? ........................................................2 Chapter2:WhyShouldIwriteaMemoir?........................................3 Chapter3:HowDoIGetStarted?YourGamePlan ...........................5 Chapter4:SixTemplatestoConsider .............................................8 Chapter5:ReWrites,Editing&Proofreading................................. 12 Chapter6:TheArtofMemoir....................................................... 14 Chapter7:Artwork ..................................................................... 16 Chapter8:PublishingChoices ...................................................... 17 ListofReferences ....................................................................... 18

YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting

byMarjorieSimmins

Chapter

WhatisaMemoir?
Amemoir(mmoire,theFrenchwordformemory)isthe storyofaperson'slife,ormorecommonly,apartofaperson's life.Unlikeautobiographies,amemoirisnotnecessarily chronologicalorexhaustiveindetail,startingwiththeindividual's yearofbirthandfinishingwithseniororretirementyears.A memoirismorelikeadetailedchapterinthebookofaperson's life. Amemoirisapermanentrecordofaperson'slife, intendedforfamilyandfriends,orwrittensolelyforthepleasure orpersonalneedof it. Youcanpresentamemoirinanyformatyouwish.Itcan beacollectionofshortstoriesaboutyourentirelifeoragain,it canfocusononeparticularlyresonantperiodinyourlife.Some memoirsfocusasmuchonthepeopleinyourlifefamily, friendsandpassersthrough asonyourself.Othersstartand finishwithintensepersonalmemoriesofthememoirist'sown movementsthroughlifeandreflectionsonthese.Yetothersfocus oncherishedfriendshipswithanimalsorparticulartimesin particularcountries.Thereisnowrongwaytowriteamemoir. Amemoircantakeahybridformitcanmixprosewith recipes,orshortstorieswithpoetry.Itcanincludephotographs andsketches,orboatandhouseplans.Itcanbeanythingthatbest expresseswhoyouareandhowyouwishtoberemembered. Youcan printandbindyourmemoiryourself orhaveit printedandboundbyanofficesupplycompany.Itcan be publishedtoorderbyvariousInternetcompanies,or(morerarely forthenonfamous)publishedcommercially.Itcanbecomputer generated,handwrittenorproducedonatypewriter.Itcanbe recordedontapeorfilm. Amemoirrepresentsitsownversionoftruth.Tothebest ofhisorherability,thewriterrecallsevents,places,times, people,etc.,inhisorherlifeanddetailsthesetothereader.Few ofushavephotographicmemoriesandallofushaveselective memories.Aswell,memoirsareoftenemotionallyvolatile.Itis easiertorememberthehappiertimesthantheharderones.Even recallingdifficulttimesinourlives,weareonlyasaccurateas ourcurrentrulingneedsandourlifelongdominantsenses. Memoriesdullwithtime.Emotionsstaykeen.Writefrom yourheart,then,andtrustyourintellecttofillinthedetails.You haveanabsoluterighttoyourversionofyourlife.Itisastruthful asyourheartknowsittobe.

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Hewhobelievesthatthe pastcannotbechanged hasnotyetwrittenhis memoirs.
TorvaldGahlin,Swedish cartoonist,19102006.

Memoirsarethe backstairsofhistory.
GeorgeMeredith, EnglishVictorianpoet,1828 1909.

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Chapter

WhyShouldIWriteaMemoir?
Anyonecanwriteamemoir,notjustanactor,ex president,rockstarorsocietyfigure.Memoirsbyregular peoplecanbeasentertainingandenjoyableasanyoneelse's. Theycanalsobeaswellwrittenand/orillustrated,orevenbetter. Italldependsonthetimeandcareyouputintoyourmemoir. Memoirsareoftengiventofamilymembersorfriends. Thinkofsomeofyourownfamilymembers,nowdeceased wouldn'tyoulovetohavetheirmemoirs?Allyoulikelyhaveare sketchystoriesandsketchierfactsaboutyourancestors'lives. That,andperhapsafewfaded,mysteriousphotographs.Blessthe ancestorswhowritenames,datesandplacesonthebacksof these!Asforthenarrativesofyourancestors'lives,youwon't knowit,ofcourse,butyoumayhavesomefactsskewedorflat outwrong. Ifyouareluckyenoughtohavearelative'smemoiror journal,itisprobablyatreasuredpossession.Evenifthedetails areupsetting(ordisputedbyothersinthefamily),youatleast haveoneversionofonerelative'slifetoponder. Thephrasecompletetruthisalmostanoxymoron.We canonlyofferuptruthasweperceiveiteven smallbitsofitare notahomogenousstorysharedbyallinafamilyorcommunity letalonealifetimeoftruths.Nonetheless,amemoirwritten withtheauthor'sbestcommitmenttointegrityandhonestycanbe anaccomplishmenttobeproudofandacherishedfamily possession.Itmayalsobearespectedpublicationinthewider world. Amemoirisatangiblerecordofalife.Ittakes timeand efforttocomplete.Itisevidenceofcountlessthoughtfulhours andakeendesiretorememberandberemembered.Itisthe oppositeof theselfpityingWhocares?andfullproofofa healthy,sharingego. Anditisuptoyou,theindividual,toshape thememoirthewayitbestpleasesyou.Thismeans,inpart, includingapersonalversionoftruthwhichyoucanstandbehind. Theauthorwhowritesthefakedorfalsememoirandiscaught out,isdespised.Theyareoftenrichinthepublications aftermath,mindyou,butdespisednonetheless(e.g.JamesFrey, HermanRosenblat,MishaDefonseca,etc.). Mostofuswanttospeakforourselves,aboutourselves. Thatiswhatamemoirisallabout.Hereisyourchancetotell yourownstorythewayitreallyhappenedormoreaccurately, totheverybestofyourmemoryandunderstanding.Your

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I'velivedalifethat's full. I'vetraveledeachand ev'ryhighway Andmore,muchmore thanthis, Ididitmyway. FromMyWay, writtenbyPaulAnka andsungby FrankSinatra

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Whenyouputdownthe goodthingsyououghtto havedone,andleaveout thebadthingsyoudiddo well,that'smemoirs. WillRogers,American entertainer,18791935.

descendantswon'thavetoguessaboutyourlife,orwhereyou stoodonvariousmatters.They'llhavethefactsandstoriesin blackandwhite,tosharewiththeirowndescendants.Theymay beverysurprisedathowyouviewtheworldandwhatyouhold tobepreciousandrare. Memoirscanbeemotionallysatisfyingandevenhealing towrite.All peoplehaveundergonegreatsadnessesintheirlives somehavemorethanothers,orsadnessesthatseemparticularly unfair,relentlessortragic.Wealldealwithourchallenges differently,butonewayistowrite themdown andhaveagood, hardlookatwhatisthere.Youmayfindthatyouhavehealed morethanyourealizedandhavehopesandstrategiesforeven fullerhealing.Theseareworthsharingandmayhelpsomeone elseinyourfamilyorcircleoffriends.Attheveryleast,these peoplemaybegreatlyrelievedtoknowhowwellyouhave healedfromalossorsadness. Ontheotherhand,youmaystillhaveatenderheartabout thelossesordifficultiesinyourlife,pastorpresent.Persevere,no matterhowhardtheprocessseemsonsomedays.Manypeople aresurprisedbyhowmuchtheylearnaboutthemselvesasthey writetheirmemoirs,howreassuringandstrengtheningthis knowledgecanbe.Theycanbeequallysurprisedbyhowmuch theirmemoirsgivetoothers,intermsofcomfortandhope.Ifyou areemotionallyforthcoming,thedividendscanbefargreaterthan youimaginedorexpected.Writingamemoircanbeavital voyageofselfdiscovery. Memoirscanalsoservetorejuvenateyourspiritand refocusyourlife.Mostofusdon'tthinkaboutour accomplishmentsmuch.Pattingourselvesonthebackisnotthe waywegothroughlife.Butrecordingourgoodbitsinprint, andrememberinghowitfeltwhenwesucceededinacertainarea, isapleasantandwarmfeeling.Itmayspuruson,tosucceed again,inanareaofbelovedendeavour.Alistoflife accomplishmentsmayalsorevealdreamsnotrealized,hopesput aside.ThetimeisalwaysNOW,toresumetheefforttoachieve longedfordreamsandrealities.Amemoircansupportnewlife energiesandreestablishfocusandasenseofpurpose. Atitsbest,anymemoircansay,Icareenoughaboutthis worldandmytimeinit,tosharesomeimagesandideaswiththe restofyou.Takethemorleavethem,asanyreadermust.But knowthatIsoughtforeachofyou,momentsofconnectionand suspension,asyoureadthestoriesofmylife.

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Chapter

HowDoIGetStarted?
Ifyouhavenotdonealotofwritinginyourlife,writinga memoircanseemadauntingtask.Itdoesn'thavetobe.Youneed tobemethodical,though,andsteadyinyourresolveanddesire. Thelattertwocanbehardenoughforprofessionals,sodon't despairifyourmoodsandenergiesfluctuateastheweeksgoon. Committoyourplanforwritingamemoirandifyou'restill uncertain,usethegameplan Ihaveincluded. Aboveall,believeinyourselfandbelieveyourmemories andlifeexperienceswillbringpleasureandbeofinterestto others.Talktoyourfamily,talktoyourfriendsandpeers,about yourhopesforwritingamemoir.Myguessisthatyouwill receivemorethanenoughencouragementtogetstarted.Human beingstheworldoveraregeneticallyandspirituallydisposedto createandlistentostories.Theworldstillhasoralcultures, wherepreciouswordspassfromtheelders'lipstothenext generation.Thereisn'tachildanywherewhodoesn'tturnbright eyedatthequestion:ShallItellyouastory?Theluckychildren whoarereadtomostoftenbecomereadersthemselvesand mostofusknowthejoythatreadingcanbringtoourlives. Yourmemoirisastory neverforgetthat.Yes,itisthe storyofyourlifeandhencehumsinyourbones.Buttomakeit humforothers,youneedtoshapeitasallotherstoriesare shaped,withabeginning,middleandend(whichcancomeinany order,aslongasallthreeappearsomewhere)andallthedevices andshapingsofanygoodbitofwriting. Whatisgoodwriting? Goodwritingconsistsof one graceful,wellplacedwordafteranother,effecting,intheend, onepredominantfeelinginthereader:satisfaction. Therewillbemoreoneffective,evocativewritingin ChapterFive.

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TheMemoirist'sMotto Mylife. Mychoices. Mylegacy. M.Simmins

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Your Game Plan

YourGamePlan
Step1,Audience: Decideforwhomthememoirisintended.Ifyouare writingforyourfamilyandfriends,pickonepersoninthisgroup asyouridealaudience.Yourtonewillinstantlycometoyouand staywithyouandtrustme,thatwilllaunchyoufasterthan almostanythingelse.Youknowtheparticulartoneyouuseina lettertoagrandchildonenearingadulthoodandsmartasa whip?Thatmightbethetoneyouwant.Orperhapsabeloved sister,onetowhomyouhavebeenwritinglettersallyourlife, onewholaughsoutloudatyourzanysenseofhumorandalways commentsontheevocativedetailsyourlettersprovide.Choose herthen.Perhapsyou'dwanttosharethememoirwithyour mother,ifshewasstillalive.Orperhapstoyourverybestfriend, verymuchalive,whoseloveandloyaltyoveralifetimehasnever flagged.Donotwritetomanypeopleatonce.Chooseone individual theonewhomakesyourheartfeelsafeandyetsoar atthesametime.You'llknowwhotherightpersonis,whenyour writingtumblesontothepagewithoutpause.

Step2,Scope: Bearinmindthatyoudon'thavetodetailyourwholelife inyourmemoir.Youneedtochoosethemostexcitingand profoundperiodsofyourlifeaboutwhichtowrite.Youmayeven focusonasingleincidentandallthechangesthatflowedout fromit,foryearstocome.Oryoumaypreferachronological format,butwithsomechaptersshorterthanothers.

Step3,OpentheGatestoMemory: Peninhand,orhandshoveringoverthekeyboard,starta listofimportanteventsandpeopleinyourlife.Donotworry abouttheorderordetail.Onceyouhaveacomprehensivelist, youcannumberthemchronologically.Ornot.

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Step4,ExpandYourMemoir: Startingwithwhicheverexperienceyoufindthemost compelling,begintowriteyourmemoir.Don'tforgetyourideal audience(orIdealReader,asStephenKingcallshiswife,his inveterate,hawkeyedreaderofseveraldecades),oryourbrave startwill soonfalter.Remember,aswiththememoiroverall,that thereisabeginning,middleandendtoeachchapter.Thereare timeswhenyoumayneedtoreinin,whenthestorywantsto wandertoofarafield.Chapterscanhelpyoukeepyourfocus. (Andhey,it'sfuntonameandrenamethem.)Overall,though, don'tworryaboutmeanderingstoryline.Itwillbeeasierand easiertocontrol,asyousettleintoyourstory. Step5,MakeYourGoalAchievable: Youneedtoberealisticaboutsettingacompletiondate. Professionalwritersarehappytoproduce500polishedwordsa day(that'stwo,doublespaced,typedpages).Butevenata paragraphaday,youwouldbemarchingrightalong Ofgreatestimportanceistotryandwriteeachday,evena smallbit.Ifyouweretoproducea25,000wordmemoir(novels aregenerallyaround100,000words),thatwouldbearound100 pageslong(typed,doubledspaced).Ifyoudid250words/one pageaday,afirstdraftofyourmanuscriptwouldbecompleted inaboutthreemonths.Addinamonthofrewriting,general editingandproofreading,andyou'dbedoneinfourmonths.Add amonthoreventwoforlife'sunexpected'sanditwouldtake sixmonthstoproduceyourmemoirinpublishableform.That soundsgood,doesn'tit? Seekingcommercialpublicationwouldtakefarlonger, withnoguarantees.However,withsomanywonderfulchoices forselfpublishing,youdon'thavetofeelthatpublishingit yourselfisaninferiorchoicetocommercialpublishing.

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Chapter

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WhatChoicesdoIHave? SixTemplatestoConsider
Template1TheChronologicalMemoir Startwithyourheart:Whowereyou?Whoareyou?Whatdoyou remember?Sitinacomfortablechair,atadeskortable.Havea penandpapernearathand,orifyouprefer,restyourhandsover thekeyboard.Dropyourshoulders,breath deeply.Easeyour mindbacktoyourearlyyears,orwhicheveryearsormomentin timeyourmindwantstoreview.Whodoyousee,wheredoes yourmemorylingerandenjoyitself?Or,whatimagescan'tyou pushaway,eventhoughtheyunsettleyou?There'snopointtoan emotionally dishonestmemoir.Sobebrave.Seekthestrongest, mostcompellingmemories.Turnofftheworldofnow,driftback. Startfromthatfavoriteageweallhave8?15?21?32? Rememberlearningtoturnasomersault? Remembertheintense flavoroffruitpickedonasummerday?Gofurtherback. Rememberthefirsttimeyoufellinlove...withthevioletbandin arainbow?Withfloating,facetothesky,intidal poolswarmas bathwater?Startwriting.Takemebackintime,thencircle aroundand upwards...onememoryatatime...until...youwish to...stop. Template2TheNonChronologicalMemoir Thenonchronologicalmemoircanbeorganizedinotherways. Youcan,forexample,usedifferentcategories,suchasplacesyou havelived,countriesyouhavetraveledto,friends,animals, recipesandgardens.Orperhapsyou'vealwayswantedtowrite aboutthedreamsyou'vehad.Whataretherecurringthemesin yourlife?Haveyoueverhadabookoramovieoraconversation changeyourlife?Whichpeoplemeantthemosttoyouinthislife andwhy?Perhapsyouareasailorandneedtowriteaboutyour sailingadventuresevenoneexquisitesummerwhenyouand yourhusbandwereyoung.Orperhapsyoutraveledtheworldin otherwaysandbakedweddingcakestofinanceyourtravels. Yourmemoirmighthavecakenamesforchapters:Angel Food CaketoLosAngelesRedVelvetCaketoCharlestonPound CaketoEngland.Again,whowereyou,whoareyou,whatdo yourememberandwhatdoyouneedtorecord?(Thislatter memoirideaisperfectforahybridformat,whererecipesforthe cakeswouldbeincludedattheendofeachchapter.)

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Template3ThePurloinedMemoir(Structure) No,Idonotmeanthatyoucopythewordsofanyone'smemoir ever!(Howcouldyou,anyway?Itwouldn'tmakesense!)WhatI domeanisusethesameformat.Mostpeoplewhowanttowritea memoirhavereadmemoirsandenjoymemoirs.Sometheyhave enjoyedmorethanothers averyfewaretreasuredfavourites. Reasononeforthat,I'dventure,isthewriter'sskillandstyle.But mostoftennippingontheheelsofgoodwritingisstraightahead, invitingformat.Thesearethebooksthatareorganizedinaway thatexcitesyou.Chapternamesmakesense,maytitillateor entice.Booksectionsarelogicalingeneral andsuitabletothat memoirist.Evenifthememoiristchoosesanonchronological style,thebook'sbeginning,middleandendarestillidentifiable. Ifyoudon'thaveafavoritememoir,startreading.Ifyoudo, reviewyourlibrarywithacriticaleye.Ifsomeoneelsehasdone somethingwell,whynotborrowtheirstructure?(Astheadage goes:Stealingfromonewriterisplagiarismstealingfrom manyisresearch.)Itisnotactuallyplagiarism,it'scommon sense.Ontheequallyvaluableflipside,yourresearchwill underscorewhatyoudon'twantforyourownmemoir,asmuch aswhatyoudowant.Youcanalsotakenotesonanyartworkthat hasbeenused.Whatappealstoyou,whatleavesyoucold?What doyouhaveonhandalready(photographs),whatcouldyou create(sketches,etc.)?

Template4TheOneEventorCentralSubjectMemoir Manypeoplefocustheirmemoirsaroundacentraleventintheir lives.Theeventcanbetriumphant overcomingaddictionora physicaldisability ormoreemotionallyshattering theloss ofachildorthehealingfromanabusiveorviolentchildhood. Thesememoirscanhavehugeappeal.Weall wanttobelieve inthepowerofthehumanspirittoovercomeadversity,toheal completelyfromgrievouswounds.Thereisaninfinitevarietyof howthesetriumphsandhealingsoccur.Detailsaboutthiscanbe riveting. Onesubjectmemoirscanalsofocusonanareaofexpertiseor greatlove.Youmay,forexample,havespentyourworkinglife asamaritimediver,orasabreederofShetlandSheepdogs. Perhapstheseactivitiesbeganashobbiesandblossomedinto

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

fulltimecareers.Orperhapsyourcareershadnothingtodowith yourloveofIkebana(Japaneseflowerarranging),competitive chessorPaintBall.Butyou'dratherwriteaboutthosepassions thananythingelse. Remember:thesamerulesofgoodwritingapplytothissort ofmemoir.Justbecauseyouareprimarilyfocusingonone subject,doesn'tmeanyouarenottellingastory.Storiesinform, amuse,surprise,saddenanddelightus,tonamebutafew emotions.Ifyouaremadkeenaboutraisingchampionpumpkins, thrilluswithyourcompetitivefervor,pushustotheveryedge ofconversion.Evenifwearecityslickers,youmustatleast makeusintensely,vicariouslyenjoyaspectsofnatureandthe countrysidewehadn'tthoughtaboutbefore.Onesubject,then, butmanysupportingcharacters.Also:carefulattentiontosetting andtone.Thisisyourworld.Youhaveinsiderinformationand experienceofitsmostintimateandmysteriousdetails.Share.

Template5TheFamilyMemoir Manypeoplecomefromprominentorunusualfamilies.Their individualliveshavebeengreatlyaffectedpositivelyor otherwisebybeingamemberoftheirfamily.Asweallhavea familyoforigin andwemostofuschoosetomakeourown familiesaswell,thesubjectoffamiliesisgenerallyofdeepand abidinginterest.Shenanigans.Complications.Mentalillnessand addictions.Ancientsecrets,shockingchoicesandbetrayals.Let's notforgettheothergoodstuff,either:loyalty,love,laughter andkindness.Howhasyourcharacterbeenshapedbyyour family?Whatvaluesdoyoucherish,whichdoyoureject?Above andbeyondeccentricitiesandundesirablebehaviors,whichall familieshave,howisyourfamilyadmirable,evenunique?How ordotheykeeptheirtiesstrong?Ifyouneededtobreakaway from yourfamily forashortwhileoralifetimehowdidthis affectyourchoicesandcommitmentsovertheyears?Doyou havewisdomstoshare oronlyaheavyhearttounburden?Ifthe latter,thebookmaygrowtedious.Story, tellusastory.Giveus broadstrokes,yes,tokeepthenarrativeunfolding,butgiveus details,too,whichmakeyourfamilydifferentandmemorable fromtheone...nextdoor...oracrosstown...ornestledinthattiny northernvillage...

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Template6TheHybridMemoir Ihesitatetosetparametersofanykindaroundthedescription ofahybridmemoir.Youreallymustthinkaboutwhoyouareand howyouwishtoberemembered.Thinkaboutyouraudience again,too. Howdoyouwishyourgranddaughtertoremember you?Oryournieceornephew?Ilovethenotionofpassingdown knowledgeandnotjustwithawrittenstory.Remember,a memoirsays:Thisisme,thisisacollectionofmythoughtsand remembrances.Theformatisentirelyuptoyou. Linographsorwatercolours,setoffbypoems Recipes Quotesfromfamilymembers Gardentips Sewingorquiltingtips/patterns/designs Alistofbooksreadandenjoyed Ingredientsforajarof potpourri Boatorhouseplans Motorcyclemaintenancetips Mapsofjourneystaken,punctuatedby photographs Sketchesofyourfamily

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Chapter

Rewrites,Editing&Proofreading
Youmightnotbeaperfectionist,butyouwillwantyour written(orcreated)legacytobeasappealing,dynamicanderror freeaspossible.Thismeanstakingyourtime,givingtheworkthe chancetobreathe,growandevolve.Thereisnosuchthingasa firsttimeperfectdraftofwriting.But,whenyouallowthework timetosteep(evenaweekawaywillgiveyoufresheyes),re writesflowmorenaturallyandreallyarenotonerous.Infact,re writescanbeintenselysatisfying,becauseeveryclichyou remove,everysentenceyoupolish,nudgesyouclosertothe finishlineandtoanendproductofwhichyoucanbeproud. Expectbetweenthreeandfiverewritestoobtainthememoiryou deserve.Threeisaboutaslowasyoucangoyoumaygohigher thanfive.Itdependsonthelengthandcomplexityofthewriting. Youwillalsoneedtohavetheworkproofreadandedited. Youmayknowanonprofessionalwhoisnonethelessvery skilledatthissortofwork.Oryoumayspringfortheservicesof aprofessional,whichisalwaysagoodchoice,aslongasyou workwithareputableindividual.Freelanceeditorscanbefound throughprovincialwriters'organizations(hereinNovaScotia,try http://www.writers.ns.ca/)orbywordofmouth(aska professionalwriterwhosheusesfortheseservices).Aneditor canalsohelpyouwithanystructuralortonalchallengesyoumay bedealingwith.Alittleprofessional guidancecangoalongway tohelpyoufinishthebestmemoirthat'sinsideyou.Theirskill andencouragementmightmeanthedifferencebetweenan almostdonememoirandatopnotch,finishedone. Also:neverforgettheusefulnessof referencebookson writing.Ihaveincludedsomefavoritesofmineattheendofthis booklet.Youwillalwayslearnsomethingfrombooksonwriting. Youmaylearntheonethingyouneedtotakeyourmemoirtoa levelofexcellenceyoudidntknowyoucouldachieve.

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Memoirscanneverbe whollytrue,sincethey cannotincludeevery conceivablecircumstance ofwhathappened.The novelcandothat. AnthonyPowell, Englishnovelistand memoirist,19052000.

Effective,EvocativeWriting:
Genreshaveuniquequalitiesandsharedqualitiesand possiblymoreofthelatter.Thequalitiesyouenjoyinagood novelorbookofnonfictionessaysoracollectionofshort fiction,oraplay,arethesamequalitiesyouwillenjoyina memoir.Whataresomeofthesequalities? affectivelanguagelanguagethatmakesthehairontheback ofyourneckrise,ormakesyoulaughoutloud,ormakesyou gasporshedtears intellectualrigor unusual,freshphrasings,whichshowthe writer'scareandgift dramaandsuspenseaskilledwriterknowshowtocreate andincreasetensionthiscanbeachievedbytautpacing,raising questionsandcreatinguncertainty gracefulforeshadowing thismustbedonedeftly,soI,the reader,feelalertandpleasantlyonedge,stillguessingatthe story'soutcome realisticdialogue thiscreatesasatisfyingexperiencefor thereader,asitdeepenscommitmenttothestory andsuspension ofdisbelief.

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Chapter

TheArtofMemoir
Anexcellentmemoirisfarmore thanacollectionof memories,boundtogetherinonemanuscript.Aswithany othergenreofwriting,forthememoiritselftobememorable, itneedstoattainalevelofartistry.Don'tbeintimidatedby thatword.Ifyouarecompelledtopickupapentowrite,you arealreadyinterestedinanartform,whetheryou'vethought ofitthatwayornot.Forarttobecreated,theartistuses varioustechniques.Considerthefollowing,tomoveyour memoirwritingbeyondsimplereportage. Dialogue: Dialogueinamemoircanachievemanywonderful objectives. Itcanbeusedtobeginastory andcandrawareader inquicklyandthoroughly.Dialoguecanaddsaltandauthenticity, humourandenergy.Itcanalsoaddintimacyandwarmth.For mostofus,conversationswithfriendsandfamilyareamongthe sweetestpleasuresoflife.Dialoguecanbringamemoirvividly aliveaslittleelsecan.Useitgenerously. Useitartfully,too.Ifyouweretoquotesomeone verbatim,thewholeofferingmaysoundclunkyandodd.Asyou write,readthewordsaloud.Youwillknowwhenyouhavethe dialogueright,whenitreadseasily.Ifyoucan'tseemtogetit right,thenread,read,readotherbooksandmemoirsuntilyousee howitisdone.Intheend,itisyourjobasawritertomakeyour charactersjustabitmorearticulateinprint,thantheymaybein theirlives.Andifoneofyourcharactersisanaturallyawkward speaker,thenthetraititselfisimportanttothatperson.This makeshimorhermorerealinprint.Thesedecisionsmaysound complicated.Butagain,ifyouarealreadycompelledtowrite,I believeyourintuitiveartistrywillsupportyoumorethanyounow know. OurSenses: Wehavefiveofthem sight,sound,touch,smelland hearingandeachoneisapartoflife.Whenallfivesensesare broughtintoamemoir,thereadingexperienceisenriched.Most peoplehavetwoorthreedominantsensesandneedtoconcentrate onusingtheothers,especiallywhentheycommencewriting. Otherpeoplewouldincludeourintuitionasasixthsensethey mayevenfeelitistheirstrongestsense.Whateveryoubelieve,
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Thereain'tnothingthat breaksuphomes,country andnationslike somebodypublishing theirmemoirs. WillRogers, Americanentertainer, 18791935.

YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting

byMarjorieSimmins

foryourwritingtobe resonant,itneedstobea multifacetedexperience foryourreader.

MakeWaronthePassiveVoice: Inthepassivevoice,thesubjectreceivestheactionwith theuseofthepassiveverb.Thinkofthatword,passive,and whatthatactuallymeanstoyourwriting.Doyouwantstrong writingorweak,passivelyformedwriting?Thus,doyouprefer ThesecretsofelectricitywerediscoveredbyBenjamin Franklin,or,BenjaminFranklindiscoveredthesecretsof electricity? Beengarde! Show,don'ttell: Youhaveheardthissuggestionsooften andyetfrom timetotimeweforget.Thus,whichismoreevocative:Benjamin Franklinlookedsotiredandsad,or,BenjaminFranklin'seyes wereradishredandpuffy? Editing: Here'sanexcellentexercise,insupportofconcisewriting: whenyouhaveafinaldraft,trycuttingitagainby30percent. Youmaybesurprisedathowmuchstrongerthewritingbecomes. StrengthinNumbers: Ifyouareanemergingwriter,orfeelyouneedsupportas yousetouttowriteyourmemoir,Iurgeyoutofindawriting groupwhocanhelpyou.Howdoyoudothis?InNovaScotia, youcancalltheWritersFederation ofNovaScotia(902423 8116)andtheymayknowofanappropriategroupinyourarea. Youcanrootaboutonlineandagain,seeifthereisalocalgroup you'dfitinto.Youcantakeacourseinmemoirwritingandother writingclassesandhopetomeetsympaticowritersthere.You dontneedtofeelaloneasyouworkonyourmemoir.

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Artwork

Chapter

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Isoldthememoirsofmy sexlifetoapublisher theyaregoingtomakea boardgameoutofit. WoodyAllen, Americanactor,author, screenwriterandfilm director,b.1935.

Photography.Charcoal,inkorpastelsketches. Watercolours.Pressedflowers.Prints:woodcuts,linographs, silkscreens. Ifyouaregiftedinoneoftheseformsof art,Ienvyyou.If youareabletoincorporateoneoftheseformsofartintoyour memoirmanuscript,Iamdeadjealous.Itrulyloveillustrated writing,astheillustrationssooftenaddtomyknowledge, understandingandenjoymentoftheauthor,or,aswithfiction, offerparticularsofhis/herimaginedworld. Whenitcomestoartandthememoir,mostofushaveto makedowithamodestabilitytotakesnapshotsonacamera.If wearelucky,though,wehavecollectionsofphotosfromour ancestors sometimesfromseveralgenerationsprior.Whocares ifsomeofthesearen'tinperfectfocus?Ifyouhaveexactlyone photooftheeverdelightfulGreatAuntMarieCharlotte,kneeling inherfamouskitchengardeninthesummerof'29,doyouworry thattheimageisabitcrooked?No,ofcoursenot. Thatsaid,beasparticularasyoucan withyourphotos,if youarefortunateenoughtohaveagoodlynumberfromwhichto choose.Again,seeifyoucanenlistthehelpofagraphicdesigner whenitcomestimetolookatdesignissuesforyourmemoir. Evenabriefdiscussionwithaprofessionaldesignercanmakea worldofdifferencetothefinalproduct.Youhaveworkedhardon themanuscript.Don'tshortchangeyourselfonitsdesignand printing. Artworkcanbeanyformofillustrationaddedtoa manuscript.Justbecauseyoudon'tseetheformyoupreferlisted here,don'teverdoubtitsvalidity,orthevisualinterestitwilladd toyourbook.Artworkcanberecipes,writteninbeautifulscript, withafountainpen.Artworkcanbenumeroussmallcollages imagesthatspeaktoyouinsomeway andaddliteralcolourtothe text.Itisalsoeasytoincorporatedigitalphotographsortoscanin photographstoyourtext.(Ortofindhelpwiththis.)Artworkcan bewhateveryourheartdesires.Oryoucanchooseplaintext, leavingtheartworkforthecoveronly.

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

Chapter

Publishing
Yourmemoirmanuscriptisfinishedandyouarepleased withit.Ithasundergonethreesolidrewritesandmany proofreads,fromtwoskilledreadersandoneprofessionaleditor. Youhaveadozenphotosyou'dlikeincludedandsomesmall sketchestobeincludedonthechapterpages.Whatnext? Youhaveseveralchoices:commercialpublication,self publishingorpublishingondemand,fromreliableandwell regardedcompaniessuchasLulu.com(foranexcellentshort informationvideo,goto http://www.lulu.com/en/about/demo.php),orprintingthe manuscriptonyourownpersonalcomputerandusingascanner toinsertthephotosorotherartworkintothetext.Forthelatter option,youwouldideallyhavesomeexperiencewithdesktop publishingand/oraverygoodandhelpfulfriendwhoworksasa graphicdesigner.Askyourfriendsabouttheirsmartasawhip grandsonorniece,whowon'tmindgivingyousomehelp.Don't beageist,either:theneighbour'sgrandfatheror80yearoldthird cousinmightbeworkingon his/hercomputernightandday.He orshemaybehappytoguideyouthroughthemanychoices involvedwithselfpublishing. TheInternetoffersinformationoneverysortofself publishing. Itisbesttotalktopeoplewhohaveusedaself publisher.CompaniessuchasStaplesorKinko'salsoofferself publishingoptions.Thiscanbeexpensive,especiallyifyouare usingcolourillustrationsorphotographs.Buthowmanycopies doyouneed? Ifyouwishtosellyourmemoir,torecoupsomeofthe expenses,seeiffamilyandfriendswillcommittobuyingyour memoirbeforeitispublished.Beyondthesecircles,youmaybe abletosellyourmemoirsatlocalcraftfairs,churchevents,local bookstoresorgiftshops.Youmayalsosellyourmemoirsvia yourwebpageontheInternet.Thelatteroptionisabitfussyto setup,butcanworkwell. Thecommercialpublicationof memoirshasneverbeen morerobust.Thevarietyandnumberofmemoirspublishedby majorcommercialhouseseachyearisdizzying.Amongthe expectedmemoirsof thetitledorfamous,arethememoirsofthe nonfamous.Thesememoirscanberefreshingandfun someare marvelouslysuccessful.Believeinyourself.Believeinyour story.Youjustneverknowwhatmighthappen....

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Publishersarealways lookingforfreshtalent. Whatwewanttosee aboveallisaunique voicewithsomething compellingtosay.This mightseemobvious,but whenyou'retryingto impressapublisher,it reallyisallaboutthe qualityofthewriting!" PatrickMurphy, SeniorEditor NimbusPublishing VagrantPress Halifax,NovaScotia

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins

ListofReferences
Atwood,Margaret, NegotiatingwiththeDead:AWriteronWriting. AnchorPress:Toronto,Ontario,2003. Barrington,Judith, WritingtheMemoir:FromTruthtoArt.EighthMountainPress:Portland,OR,2007. Brewer,RobertLee,WritersMarket.F+WPublications:Cincinnati,OH,2008. Brown,RitaMae,StartingFromScratch:ADifferentKindofWriter'sManual.Bantam,1989. Burke,Carol&Tinsley,MollyBest,TheCreativeProcess.Bedford/St.Martin's,1992. Busch,Frederick, ADangerousProfession (ABookabouttheWritingLife).1998. Cameron,Julia, TheRighttoWrite. TarcherBooks(PenguinGroup):LosAngeles,CA,1999. Cameron,Julia, TheArtist'sWay.TarcherBooks(PenguinGroup):LosAngeles,CA,1992. Clausen,John,Too LazytoWork,TooNervoustoSteal.WritersDigestBooks:2001 Dillard,Annie, LivingbyFiction.HarperPerrennial,1990. Dillard,Annie, TheWritingLife.HarperCollinsCanada,1988. Goldberg,Natalie, OldFriendFromFarAway:ThePracticeofWritingMemoir.FreePress:NewYork,NY,2007. Goldberg,Natalie.WritingDowntheBones:FreeingtheWriterWithin.Shambhala,1998. Goldberg,Natalie, WildMind:LivingtheWriter'sLife.Bantam,1990. Hodgins,Jack, APassionforNarrative.McClelland&Stewart,2001. King,Stephen, OnWriting.PocketBooks:NewYork,NY,2000. Lamott,Anne,BirdbyBird:SomeInstructionsonWritingandLife,AnchorPress,1995. Rico,GabrieleLusser, WritingtheNaturalWay:UsingRightBrainTechniques,Tarcher,2000. Robertson,Heather,WritingfromLife.RandomHouseInc.,1998. Safire,William, SafireonLanguage.AvonBooks,1981. Stein,Sol,SteinonWriting,St.Martin'sGriffin,1stEdition,2000. Strunk,WilliamJr.&White,E.B,TheElementsofStyle.Longman,FourthEdition,1999. Zinsser,WilliamK.,InventingtheTruth:TheArtandCraftofMemoir.AMarinerBook(Houghton MifflinCompany):New York,NY,1998. Zinsser,WilliamK.,OnWritingWell.Harper&Row,Publishers,NewYork,NY,secondedition,1980 Zinsser,WilliamK.,WritingAboutYourLife.MarlowandCo.,2004.

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YouDiditYourWayABookletofIdeasonMemoirWriting byMarjorieSimmins