Skip to main content

Memoir Writing

I don't know if I've mentioned it or not, but my writing class this Fall isn't so much fiction writing as it is more about memoir writing, something I've never really tried. I have too many reservations. If I told my story, or the stories of the people I know, I might have to change my name and move far, far away. Our family stories aren't all rainbows and sunshine, if you know what I mean.

So, as you can imagine, I'm a bit nervous. I'm worried that if I try to keep everything safe, if I try to protect myself and the other people in my life, my stories will be boring and flat. I'm also worried that if I give myself permission to write the truth as I know it, I'm going to be met with disbelief. And then there's the whole question of whether or not I have to have a staring role in the stories. There's one story in particular that I've always thought could provide enough fodder for a full-length novel, but I'm only an observer in it and not an active participant.

I know many of these questions will be answered in class, but I can't help but to think about these things right now. It's the way I'm wired.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Shelli4:26 PM

    I think those are good questions. I'm always feeling this push and pull to write things that might hurt people. Once I heard a writer say, "Write it anyway." I think that's good advice. After all, it's so hard to get published anyway, I'm not going to worry about it getting in the wrong hands just yet.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4:11 PM

    Hi, Krista. I've been editing my father's memoirs. Some of the stories shed a whole new light on a man that I thought I knew, because I grew up with him. And the most powerful stories were those in which he himself was the villain, of sorts.

    I definitely agree that you can't tone down the story, or else it will be boring.

    My dad, when he talked about nasty things that others did, never named names. He did, however, sometimes give titles and names of organizations, if they were relevant to the story. The real issue there is: are they likely to sue you? Ideally, you want to talk to a lawyer about that.

    Anyone else he mentioned, he got permission from. But they were all the heroes of the story.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

They saved the finger..

This was supposed to be an easy, carefree weekend.  One of those rare weekends where spontaneity is possible because plans were not made ahead of time.  We could lounge on the couch, work on our hobbies, or even do a little shopping.  And, no, I'm not referring to the necessary evil of grocery shopping, but the much more enjoyable version where you get to buy things that actually make you happy. Because the oldest boy needed some pants and the youngest could use a new pair of shoes, I decided to head into the city to do some shopping at Kohl's.  Of course, my decision to shop there was not quite so altruistic.  Mama needed a new bathing suit! So, I pack the kids up and head into the city.  The youngest picks out his shoes . The oldest tries on a few pairs of jeans and ends up with two in the basket.  Did I mention we have to shop in the men's department now?  That he's wearing size 29?  My baby is growing up! Then it was Mom's ...
6 comments
Read more

Looking for Willing Victims

I've decided I'd like to expand my photography skills and experience. This means I need willing models. So far I've got a couple of people who might be willing to let me practice on them. I'm excited but nervous. I want so badly to take amazing pictures and give them each something they like. Shoot #1: Mom wants me to take Christmas pictures of her three daughters. I'm very excited, but I also want a lovely background. I was thinking of taking them to a park or some other such setting where there's a lot of pines. The problem is that Fall has just arrived and these are supposed to be Christmas pictures. Any suggestions? Shoot #2: A senior. I think I'm okay on this one. She wants fall colors in her pictures, so I just need to wait for the trees to do their thing. Then its a matter of finding the right location. Now here's my real delimna: Where do I upload them so they can be printed to look like professional pictures? Rounded corners and im...
9 comments
Read more

Camping with Little Boys

  Our first travel trailer. I don't remember camping much with my family as a kid. This is likely because we always had the same vacation destination: a family plot in Baldwin, MI. There was no cabin there. Instead, there were two structures: a small, silver camper and an old single-wide trailer. The silver camper is gone but the single-wide still sits there and is used by extended family members to this day.  It wasn't until I was a teenager that my step-mom and dad bought a pop-up trailer and we started camping elsewhere in the state. My memory isn't the greatest, but I'm almost certain they got the pop-up after I started dating Ken. Eventually, my parents upgraded to a fifth wheel that my dad still pulls around to various nearby camping spots. Ken, by contrast, didn't have a set vacation destination growing up. His family camped. They started out with a truck-bed camper, I believe, and eventually upgraded to a fifth wheel.  Ken and I vacationed both in Baldwin an...
Post a Comment
Read more