Writing Memoir

I got into a doldrums with my writing; so today, to re-inspire myself, I went to the library and borrowed some books for writers. Already I am finding gems to share.

Here, from Writing the Story of Your Life by Carmel Bird, is the first part of her Prelude, 'Sing a True Song':

I would like to emphasise the elements of joy that you as the writer of your own story will experience. To sing a true song, the song of your own life story, is a most energising, absorbing and delicious thing to do. To create the narrative as first of all a gift to yourself, and then as a gift to the people who matter to you, and perhaps ultimately as an offering, through publication to strangers you will never meet, is a glorious and fulfilling project. And the process of producing it is a pleasure. Ultimately it is a useful thing to do because it may enlarge the universe of the people who read it.

She goes on to explain that the book is in four parts, 'designed to first of all confirm you in your desire to write a memoir, then to cover the practical side of things, then to enter many of the technicalities of writing, and finally to discuss with you some of the ways to work with journals and other personal writing', and that it includes twenty-eight exercises and a number of quotations which she hopes will nourish her readers..

This is Carmel Bird's third book for writers. The others are Dear Writer and Not Now Jack — I'm Writing a Novel. I own copies of the first two, so I know that this one will also be entertaining and useful. That you may discover for yourselves — I just couldn't resist sharing that joyous Prelude.

Here's another wonderful thing she says, a little further on:

The written word is a looking glass; it will tell you lots of things you probably didn't realise about yourself.