Tips for Writers from National Association of Memoir Writers

Sharing writing tips is one of the goals of this blog. So today I pass along a few tips from the National Association of Memoir Writers. I recently joined this organization out of interest in finding other memoir writers and locating expertise in the genre. I look forward to exploring the blog, CD’s, teleseminars, newsletters and other benefits.  In addition, I am reading the memoir sent by the founder of NAMW, Linda Joy Myers, called Don’t Call Me Mother. 

Myers is a psycho-therapist and writer whose book Becoming Whole: Writing Your Healing Story was reviewed here. She approaches writing as a form of therapy and helps prospective writers develop the courage and the skills to tell the truth as they remember it.

Another item that came with my membership is a list of Myers’ 23 memoir writing tips.  I don’t think she will mind if I share her first three:

1. Write frequent vignette–small, do-able pieces

2. Use the timeline to organize your memories and stories.

3. Find the dark and light in each story as well as identify stories that are primarily dark or light.

This list confirmed the approach I have taken here (mostly from intuition and trial-and-error) to start small. A blog is a perfect place to explore and share memories, even if they still need editing and shaping before they may be ready for other forms of publication.

Do you have a place to store and record your own mini-memoirs? What other tips have you discovered about writing? Have you ever created a timeline of your stories?