Kim Brittingham - Write That Memoir Right Now: Forget Someday - Start Today!

WRITE THAT MEMOIR RIGHT NOW

Forget Someday Start Today!

Kim Brittingham

Love to Lori

Heartfelt thanks to Bob Podrasky and Lori Bonfitto.

2013 by Kim Brittingham. All Rights Reserved.

Ebook 2013 by AudioGO. All Rights Reserved.

Trade ISBN 978-1-62064-204-7

Library ISBN 978-0-7927-9113-3

Cover photo iStockphoto.com/YanLev

CONTENTS

WRITE THAT MEMOIR RIGHT NOW

Lesson 1 - Whats a Memoir?

Oh, there you are! Ive been waiting for you to show up. Somehow I had a feeling you were lurking around out there with that idea in the back of your head: Im going to write a book. No doubt youve had your moments of self-doubt, too. Can I really do this? Does anyone want to hear my story? Writing a book is a big job can I see it through?

And yet, despite your insecurities, something deeper inside is urging you forward. This is a story that needs to be told. This is something I was meant to do.

Youre sounding like a writer already.

I used to worry I could never do it, too. And then I did it. I wrote a memoir. After years of hemming and hawing, it finally came together. There was a point when I had all the right information and the right words of encouragement to proceed.

With this book, you too will find the know-how and the emotional wherewithal you need to write your memoir right now . Thats right it doesnt have to be a dream anymore. Write That Memoir Right Now! will help you bring that memoir out from inside you and into an appreciative world.

Before you can write a memoir, its a good idea to know what a memoir is.

Well, isnt it obvious? , you may be thinking. Its a story about my life.

Thats true. But not everyone understands the distinction between a memoir and an autobiography and its important to get clear about that before you begin writing. Especially if you intend to get your memoir published.

I was teaching a class at Gotham Writers Workshop in New York City, when a new student walked into the classroom, took one look at me and said, Youre too young to have written a memoir! Youve hardly even lived yet!

First I was flattered she actually thought I looked fifteen years younger than I am. But then I had to clarify that the book Id written was a memoir not an autobiography .

When this woman heard the word memoir, she imagined an all-encompassing story of a life, spanning six or more decades. Autobiographies are like that. Theyre generally written by an author late in life. Theyre a reflection backward on an accumulation of experiences childhood, education, romantic partnerships, or career. Typically, autobiographies are chronological they start with the authors birthplace and take you through his or her life to the present. (Sometimes, youll hear a person refer to writing their memoirs, plural. Usually, thats an autobiography.)

My surprised student was right I havent lived long enough to write an autobiography. But a memoir? Thats a different story.

A memoir focuses on a narrow sliver of the authors life. Rather than covering all the major areas of an individuals experience, it gives the reader a more detailed glimpse into just one part of that life. That one part can be defined in many different ways, such as:

- A period of time

- An illness or other adversity

- A specific relationship

- A job or career

- Travel experiences

- An emotional challenge

- Parenting experiences

- Connection to an historical event

- A recurring theme or outlook tying together events from your life

This is why its possible for one author to write multiple memoirs. He hasnt lived more than one life hes simply writing separate books about separate aspects of his life.

For example, in his memoir Running with Scissors , Augusten Burroughs wrote about several years of his adolescence during which he lived with his mothers former shrink. Burroughs also wrote a memoir called Dry which focused on his struggle with alcoholism.

Wade Rouse has written several memoirs, including Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Handler , a book that tells tales from a time when Rouse worked in a high-brow prep school. In his book Americas Boy , Rouse wrote about the challenges of growing up gay in the Missouri Ozarks in the 1960s and 70s. In still another memoir by Rouse, At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream , he relates the story of moving to rural Michigan and adjusting to life in the remote woods.

Memoirs also tend to be more personal and reflective than autobiographies. Think about it an autobiography has a lot of ground to cover. Its a summary of a persons entire life.

But a memoir has more room to breathe. The author has gained some distance between herself and her experience and has identified how that experience has changed her. A memoir helps us learn more about ourselves by looking deeply into what others have learned about them selves.

There is a specific type of memoir writing that falls somewhere in between memoir and autobiography. Its sometimes referred to as personal history or legacy writing. The writing of personal histories is sometimes done with the help of a personal historian a professional for hire who can help coax your memories into the forefront, help you organize your memories into a story outline, and might even help you do the actual writing.

Personal histories are typically compiled for non-publication purposes. Their authors want to share their stories with family members and dont intend to sell them. Sometimes personal histories are written as a form of therapy.

EXERCISE: Give Yourself Memoir Writing Super-Power

Before you begin penning your memoir, theres one exercise you can do that will put memoir writing super-power into your bloodstream, into your very bones. It sounds painful, but its probably the easiest writing exercise youll ever do. Ready?

Read memoirs. Read several. Read memoirs similar to the memoir youre thinking about writing, and memoirs that are completely different. Let their language, structure, rhythm and revelations sink into your subconscious.

The idea is not to copy what youre reading, or even mimic it. Rather, youre letting the unique aspects of the genre became a part of what you know and understand, on an instinctive level.

Dont skip this step. Invest your time. It will give you an incomparable education in the genre itself, and it will contribute to making you a better writer.

Its worth it.

Lesson 2 - Get Clear: Why Are You Writing a Memoir?

There are lots of reasons to write a memoir.

What are yours?

Are you writing a memoir so you can leave stories behind for your children and grandchildren? Maybe you want them to know what you went through to get where you are. Maybe you want them to understand where you came from. You might have wisdom to impart. All good reasons to write about your life.

Maybe you want to contribute a narrative to your familys genealogy. Maybe you wish your distant relatives had left more stories behind for you, and youre attempting to fill that gap for future generations. A thoughtful gesture on your part.

Have you overcome something others continue to struggle with, and you want to help? Another good reason to write.