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All Memory Is False
Memory. You can’t write your memoir without it. It’s the one aspect that defines who you are. Most of us take it for granted – that is, until it starts to show gaps or fails us at critical moments. But what is it and how does it work? When we think of memory, we tend to see it as a series of video images or computer files – the clarity of our recollection being dependent on how important the specific event was and how good we believe our memory to be, but this is false reasoning. When we recall an incident, our brain rewires the neural connections each time we…
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Emotional Charge in Memoir
In every story, both fiction and non-fiction, all the best writing teachers tell us there has to be a main goal, an overarching question, a deep desire or an obsession. This powerful thread throughout the story keeps a reader engaged and committed to reaching the story’s end in order to find out what happens. It’s an accepted rule in creative writing. What About Memoir? What if you’re writing your life story in a series of isolated events – events which may have been important to you in some way but which don’t seem to adhere to a specific overall mystery to be revealed by the end of the book? What…
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Lost Memory
One of the problems of writing your memoirs as you get older (and most of us don’t think about doing so until we’re in a position to think about the generations that follow us) is memory. When we’re young, we’re capable of amazing feats of memory (at least, I think so — I’m not sure I can recall exactly!) We could memorize masses of information — for school, for our jobs, for recipes, for hobbies, for any number of activities in which we took part. As we age though, sometimes it feels as if our brains have become constipated, full of useless trivia we no longer have any interest in…
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Practice and Discipline
It seems to me that there has been an enormous subterranean shift in the overall values of society since the inception of the internet and particularly since our enthusiastic adoption of mobile devices. We no longer value hard work, discipline and practice as the road to self-improvement. In my youth, a major component of education was an emphasis on learning basic communication skills, in writing, in mathematics, and in the study of history, geography and basic natural sciences, so that we could better understand and interact with the world in which we lived. Good students expected to go on to university in order to further their education. Employers expected a…
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Creative Resistance
In any creative endeavour, it’s critical to pay attention to where you encounter Resistance. These are the places which will give you the most trouble, but when you finally “get it”, will give you the most value and insight. For a brilliant treatise on Resistance and how insidious it can be for creative people, I highly recommend Steven Pressfield’s books, “The War of Art”, “Turning Pro” and “Do the Work”, in which he examines the many ways Resistance can make itself felt. He anthropomorphizes Resistance in such a way as to give it intention and desire. That desire is the work of our unconscious, finding sneaky, near-undetectable ways to sabotage…
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The Whole Truth
I do love teaching workshops. There’s so much give and take and I always learn something new. It’s a joy to see the lightbulb go on for people when they’ve been struggling with a problem for a long time – when something I’ve said trips a switch in their head and suddenly, they get the whole truth. This afternoon, I started a new workshop class at a local seniors’ centre. You never know whether you’ll get a good group or even if anyone will show up, but today we had a nice number – enough for lots of discussion but not so many that we couldn’t all contribute. It’s My…
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Writing Groups – Getting Your Muse on Track
Joining or Setting up a Writer’s Accountability Group If there’s a writing group in your area, you can ask to join. There are so many benefits to being part of a group of like-minded writers — camaraderie, skills development, brainstorming and support. Some groups are exclusive, but many are not, so it’s worth inquiring. If you can’t find one to join, you might consider starting one of your own. In last week’s article, I wrote that I’d post some guidelines you can use to start your own writers’ group. Once you’ve found another writer (or several), before you begin you must decide what will be the focus of your group.…
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Writer’s Block – When Your Muse Goes A.W.O.L.
How accountable are you? Are you self-motivated? A self-starter? Or are you like most of us, beating yourself up because you have writer’s block, your muse is off on vacation somewhere and you just don’t feel inspired to write today? This Week’s Blog Post is Personal I have to admit, I’m just as afflicted with the “procrastination gene” as anyone, but I’ve learned a few ways to get past it. It’s not enough to say, “Oh, just get over yourself!” and dredge up the willpower to put down that trashy novel or turn off the boob tube and start to write. No, I need a system to make myself accountable. Generally…
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The Great Mistake…What Were Your Life Lessons?
Life Lessons or Failures? Do you recall your biggest mistake? Your greatest failure? How did it impact you and what knowledge did you gain from it? How did you react? What would you do differently now? In life, our biggest failures can often lead to our greatest triumphs. We tell ourselves, if I hadn’t made that mistake or if a particular event hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be who I am now. I wouldn’t have what I have or know what I know. If not for this, I would be a different person entirely. Everyone has these thoughts All of us can look back and say, “if I hadn’t done that…” …
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Your Personality Type – Do You Know Who You Are?
Who are you? What motivates you? What stops you in your tracks? What’s your biggest fear? Your most pressing need? Your most debilitating pain or emotional wound? What lights you up, turns you on, gives you joy? Do you know your own psychology and personality type? The answers to these questions are the ones which form the basis of your beliefs, values, moral code and your personality. In memoir, it’s your personality that carries your story. Your life happens the way it does because of the decisions and choices you make, the way you see and interpret the world around you. The Value Of Introspection I believe that one of…
