memoir Archives - Writers Alliance of Gainesville

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1 Mar 2023

Do You Dare? Writing about Still-Living People in Your Memoir

by Cynthia D. Bertelsen | posted in: Writer's Craft, Writer's Life / Writer's Notebook | 1

In the case of your memoir, only you can know for sure what’s apt and what’s not. Memoirist Mary Karr, celebrated for her gritty memoir, The Liars’ Club, quoted Jerry Stahl’s comment from his memoir, Permanent Midnight: “If you had to live it, you get to write it.” Yes, you … Read More

12 Dec 2015

Memoir: How Hard Can It Be?

by Connie Morrison | posted in: Writer's Craft | 2

Remember how hard it was to cook your first holiday dinner? How about your first bike ride? Or maybe having your first baby? Whew, that was hard! If this is your first time writing memoir, it is right up there with your other firsts. Don’t be fooled by all that … Read More

4 Sep 2015

Deepening Character Descriptions in Fiction and Memoir

by Mary Bast | posted in: Writer's Craft | 0

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of posts by blogger Mary Bast on Deepening Character Descriptions. In Iris Murdoch’s novel The Green Knight, Clement considers the qualities of Louise Anderson, whom he’s loved from afar: “. . . she instinctively made all things better, speaking no evil, … Read More