Thursday, July 15, 2010
A Memoir is Not a Shoutout
Catching up on my podcasts. I don't write much memoir, but I enjoy a peek under the hood, since fiction is not all that different. I like what Stephen Elliott (no relation, but I like how he spells his name) has to say, and the plain way he says it, on the Pen on Fire podcast. Free writing lesson! He talks about not-knowing, which we writers love to talk about, and editing characters out for the sake of narrative, since a memoir is "not a shoutout." Enjoy and be inspired.
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2 comments:
Anne! I had a moment thinking about the Lynda Barry class we took and then I wondered about you, so I came here and MAN! What a TREASURE TROVE of delights! Thank you! I hope you are great.
xo
Summer Pierre
ps do you still use Lynda's methods at all? I do!
Hi Summer: so great to hear from you. Funny you should mention Lynda Barry--I just looked up that Rumi poem again and I get more out of it every time. The Diver's Clothes...glad to hear the methods are still working for you. I was journaling religiously in lists for several years. I quit a few months ago because I felt it was distracting me from my main project--I spent all my time looking around me for crap to journal about--but I will go back to that as I did find it a rewarding way to record life. I'll check out your site, it has been awhile.
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