• The Making of a Memoir Part 2: Finding Your Focus

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    In the previous post in this series we looked at what a memoir is and how it differs from an autobiography. So now you know you are writing your memoir, but what exactly will it be about? You need a unifying theme or event that every scene builds up to (a random smattering of “stuff that happened to you” isn’t going to work). Perhaps you can think of a hundred possible turning points in your life to write about, or maybe one defining event jumps out at you. Figuring this out is perhaps the most important step of all. This is…

  • The Making of a Memoir Part 1: Where to Start

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    If I have learned anything from being an editor it is that everyone has a story to share. This great world of ours has given us experiences as varied as our fingerprints, and there is bound to be someone who will benefit from reading yours. Even if you think your life is nothing spectacular—perhaps even mundane—you probably have some nugget of insight somewhere along the way just waiting for you to dust it off and see it for the gem it is. I’m not going to sugarcoat it: writing about yourself is hard. However, it is also rewarding and incredibly…

  • How to Effectively Overcome Writer’s Block

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    The inevitable has happened, you’ve hit a road block in your writing. Writer’s block happens to everyone; you’re not alone! Check out these effective and simple ways to combat that stuck feeling and help you find your writing groove. Go For a Walk Give your eyes a break from the screen and take a short walk around outside. The fresh air will help clear your mind, giving you a chance to step away from the story and come back fueled by new ideas. You writer’s block will be no match for your refreshed mind! Write Through the Block For some, the…

  • The Power and Danger of Observation

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    Writers continually take in the world around them, cataloguing sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations. They observe their environment with deep curiosity and awe, recording the minutiae of the unique scenes that unfold around them every day. Watching a conversation between lovers, a mother scolding her child, or a man walking alone at night can become the building blocks of a great story. But it’s easy for us as writers to overextend our power of observation as we write. Before we know it, we are stuffing each sentence and paragraph to the seams with moment-by-moment synopses, doggedly reporting every square…