Comments on: The Memoir: Why YOUR Story is Better than Snookie’s

By: Better Writing Links List – TheKingsKidChronicles

Better Writing Links List – TheKingsKidChronicles — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 21:00:41 +0000

[…] The Memoir: Why YOUR Story is Better than Snookie’s […]

By: Top Picks Thursday! For Writers & Readers 02-01-2018 | The Author Chronicles

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 18:04:31 +0000

[…] a lot of genres—and there are plenty of other non-fiction genres as well. Cait Reynolds discusses why your memoir story is better than Snookie’s, Jerry Jenkins shares 5 tips for writing powerful inspirational fiction, Tom Cassauwers talks […]

By: excessivelyperky

excessivelyperky — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 06:15:37 +0000

It’s so fun to take people you don’t like, change their names (and sometimes genders) and then roast them over a spit. Dante didn’t even bother to change their names (which may explain why he had to leave Florence like, really quickly at one point in his life). Do so with caution, though, unless you really like the idea of fleeing Florence with a howling mob pursuing you. Granted, you can always use that material *later*.

By: KTParker

KTParker — Sat, 27 Jan 2018 15:11:44 +0000

In reply to Amyah. This is absolutely the exact kind of guidance new writers need. I took so many valuable notes from this post. My only regret is reading it one day too late to participate in the course suggested: Life as a Story: How to Write a Memoir. I will be contacting the instructor right away. : )

By: Ramshah Akbar

Ramshah Akbar — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 07:58:18 +0000

Memoir *Shivers*

By: Maureen Howard

Maureen Howard — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 23:22:11 +0000

Two important points – a memoir is written from the viewpoint of the writer and the writer has to be present at some stage in the memoir. My sister and I judge an annual short memoir competition. Last year we had to disqualify a well-written entry with a riveting theme, as it was about the writer’s father, and the events depicted occurred before the writer was born. This article was really a biographical account.
Sometimes it is more effective to write fiction based on true life events, as Christine has done. I have used events from my family history to write short stories, and my sister who is a genealogist knows all the stories! She prefers to write non fiction, reminding me of the old adage ‘truth is stranger than fiction.’ Even within one side of our family, and within our own life experiences, there are some extraordinary events. Even more in my partner’s family history, which he knows back to 1320. We are working on writing about them and having great fun discovering more material. For example, I recently wrote a crime short story based a murder that was ‘almost’ witnessed by our great grandfather in 1928. The murder was never solved, and from looking at original sources, I formed my own theory on who dunnit. It was fun imaging what could have occurred. I entered the story in a comp and await the results.

By: Deborah Makarios

Deborah Makarios — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 21:59:53 +0000

In reply to Amyah.

You could always take the approach suggested by Anne Lamott: change their names and give them undersized private parts so no one dares claim you’re writing about them 🙂
Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer and I’m pretty sure Ms Lamott isn’t either.

By: Christine E. Robinson

Christine E. Robinson — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 19:11:51 +0000

Cait, thanks so much for this eye-opening post. My WIP is Fiction based on Real Events, written in limited & some shift to deep third person POV. There were too many unknown to write a straight Memoir. Plus it’s more fun to stretch my imagination and make up scenes based on actual history. A ton of internet research to get true facts. ?Christine

By: Amyah

Amyah — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 19:11:33 +0000

In reply to Amyah. Forgot to ask... fiction or non-fiction? More secure as a novel or very good as a memoir?

By: Amyah

Amyah — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 19:09:38 +0000

Thank you for this article… very interesting but… I still have a question, kind of.

I had experience extreme+++ stress and several level of violence and physical/emotional assaults from 2 perverse narcissists (seems I attract them, darn) that drove me to the edge of my health. I am healing now but am totally ruined by those persons and live in huge debts because of them. The ones who know my story push me to write it as it is so extreme and unbelivable… they say that it could even made a bestseller book and movie.

Great up to there, kind of, but… my problem is… how to proceed? Of course I want to change the name of the places, the name of people and would write under a “nom de plume”… if I do all that, could they come after me anyway? Is there risks?

I could also write it in French so I could be saved looooool.

Seriously, how would you suggest to proceed to be in a safe zone?