Writing Memoir Together: A Roundtable Approach - Softcover

Tornow Ph.D., Joan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1463573987 ISBN 13: 9781463573980

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012

Synopsis

Memoir writers who join a memoir-writing group are inspired and supported by having a ready and appreciative audience for emerging drafts. Memoir writers embark on a journey of discovery as they conjure up memories they may not have reflected upon in years. This guide emphasizes the social aspect of writing communities which provide "a little help from our friends." Writers share the sorrows and delights of life while drawing on the power and comfort of language. The assignments make this a perfect text for a class. But, even writers who choose to write in solitude will find this guide full of inspiration and guidance. Writers learn to elicit memories and then employ a host of literary techniques to bring each memory alive in the mind and on the page on the page.

About this title

About the Author

Joan Tornow, Ph.D., is an award-winning author who has taught memoir writing at universities, libraries, and other locations in the U.S. and abroad. She facilitates workshops and retreats and maintains the website www.writingmemoir.com Joan lives near Seattle with her husband, John, and their border collie, Toby.

Reviews

Author and education consultant Tornow (Link/Age, 1997) presents a thorough guide for aspiring memoirists. Everyone has a story, but not everyone thinks theirs is worth telling—in part, perhaps, since they don’t know where to begin. Enter Tornow, who helps would-be writers put pen to paper. Tornow maintains that a memoir is all about documenting one’s life; whether for possible publication, chronicling a family’s legacy or simply to delve back into long-forgotten memories. She encourages her students (and readers of this book) to, quoting the author Anaïs Nin, “taste life twice,” by sharing their stories. Other writers, both renowned (Frank McCourt) and lesser known (like Tornow’s students) make their way into these pages, contributing inspiring quotes or excerpts that support brainstorming techniques, making the content both relatable and inspirational. Tornow pairs her own work and anecdotes with various other practices, such as clustering, which utilizes a “nucleus word or phrase” to generate free-association inspiration—a great way to overcome writer’s block. Each chapter also contains group exercises, suggested topics to spur ideas, Internet resources, comparative reading, and a weekly challenge. These tools provide a handy road map for someone seeking a way to get started. Like most homework, these assignments improve a writer’s craft. While the book is aimed toward those working in a group setting (and Tornow strongly advocates the collaborative process), the methods outlined work equally well for a solo diarist. Tornow also takes time to warn against the pitfalls of creative nonfiction, such as novelizing events à la James Frey or “telling” rather than “showing. As Tornow says, “I add these details to a scene because they bring it alive, not because the scene came to me with the precision of a digital video.” A well-structured, efficient way for both beginners and more experienced writers to explore writing about their lives.

Edition details

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1463573987
• ISBN 13: 9781463573980
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 152