Writing Memoir Together: A Roundtable Approach

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.

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.