You can probably guess from those two words what that phrase means. It’s terminology used in psychology to describe, in short, someone who is full of themself. One of the problems we see in the pages of some memoir writers is this sense of grandiose individuality. This has never happened to anyone else. Oh woe is me! No one has ever suffered as I have suffered. Of course, that’s ridiculous. … [Read more...]
Myra Lewis Williams: The Spark That Survived
I knew I liked Myra Lewis Williams 27 years ago when we went to lunch together for the first time. We were in a Mexican restaurant enjoying our meal when a cockroach crawled up the wall at her shoulder. Without breaking her stride Myra took off her shoe, smashed it, put her shoe back on, and went back to eating her enchilada. I knew then that she was my kind of girl. We’ve been friends ever … [Read more...]
The First Step to Outlining Your Memoir: Managing Your Memories
We don't always remember everything correctly. Don't you agree? For example, there was that time I was absolutely certain I'd been at a funeral in 1979 where the song Purple Rain by Prince was played. However, my younger sister reminded me that Purple Rain didn't come out until the 1980s. So I looked it up and, sure enough, that song came out in 1984. My friend had definitely died five years … [Read more...]
6 Secrets of Good Storytelling
There are a number of simple things that can be done to write a good story. Yet how many times have you suffered through someone's terrible telling of a story? You read and read and eventually wonder, "What's the point?!" Here are a few things you can do to make certain no one every thinks that about your storytelling. 1. Evoke Emotion A good story evokes emotions, for the writer and for the … [Read more...]