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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…
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10 Memoir Prompts To Get You Started
What Should I Write About? Some of the first questions people ask when beginning a memoir are: What should I write about? How do I choose which events and incidents to include and which ones should I leave out? What’s Important? Sometimes a writing prompt or suggestion can help you to get your first words down and give you a sense of direction, but it helps if you have a clear idea of why you’re writing your memoir in the first place. Purpose And Theme Your subject matter should be determined by your purpose and your theme. These are the glue that holds your story together. Without them, your story…
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How to Rivet Your Reader with Narrative Drive
What is it that keeps a reader interested in your memoir? Why should they keep reading what you have to say? And what’s Narrative Drive anyway? I first heard the term narrative drive from John Truby, Hollywood screenwriter, and one of my heroes. Narrative drive is the momentum that carries any story forward – a situation, investigation or inquiry that must be resolved in order for the story to make sense to the reader and satisfy their curiosity. Why do we love stories? Some people identify with characters – their adventures resonate with the reader in some way, giving them a sense of “Yes, I get that,” when they find a…
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How Important is Scene Construction in Memoir?
Are You A Pantser Or A Plotter? When I started taking my writing seriously in 2015, I was an avowed “pantser” — someone who writes by the seat of her pants, with no thought to plotting, construction or structure. No scene construction for me, boy! I wanted my fictional characters to tell me their story without trying to impose myself on their creativity. It was a heady time, great fun, and I fell in love with most of my characters. But…it wasn’t very good. My narratives wandered about and never reached a conclusion, so I never finished anything of any great length. My short stories were much better, though they…
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Who Cares?
Why would anyone want to read my memoirs? Who am I to think my story is worth writing down? Who cares? And if nobody cares, why should I bother? What’s the point? There are two main questions here: 1. Who do I think I am? 2. And who am I writing it for, anyway? The first question indicates a lack of confidence or a sense of insecurity, possibly about your writing ability or the value of your life story. Questioning yourself and the value of your story happens because you don’t know the answer to the second question, ”Who is my audience”? Until you figure out that answer, there is…
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Mirror Image – A Poem
Mirror Image © 2018 Beverley J. Hanna I look in the mirror and what do I see? A grizzled old hag who looks nothing like me; She’s wrinkled and fat and has hairs on her chin. I’m vital and slim and she’s ugly as sin. Inside, I’m a girl with the hubris of youth. My thoughts are self-centred, judgemental, uncouth. “I’m fit and I’m smart and I’m quite lovely too. “I couldn’t turn into a Wrinkly like you.” And yet as we stare at each other’s visage The more I accept that it’s not a mirage. ‘Cause each missing tooth, each wrinkle and scarring Are stories that tell of a…
