Memoir Writing For Smart People

By Bill Stenson

Finally, Memoir Writing For Smart People, a book that tells you all you need to know in order to publish your own personal or corporate Memoir. Written by Bill Stenson, a writer, a teacher of writing and manager of Canadian Memoirs. Bill guides people in the writing of their Memoirs, but this book is intended as a self-help guide for those who want to go it alone. This book is ideal for those "smart" people who are motivated to accomplish writing their own Memoir.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bill Stenson
• Release date: Feb 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310640438

Bill Stenson

Bill Stenson is a writer, editor and manager of CanadianMemoirs.com He writes fiction and helps people write and produce their own personal or corporate memoirs. He had taught extensively, including the University of Victoria and the Victoria School of Writing. When he has a spare moment, he dabbles in video scribe: www.slipperypencil.com

Book preview

Memoir Writing For Smart People

written by Bill Stenson

CanadianMemoirs.com

Copyright 2014 Bill Stenson

Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

About the Author

Bill Stenson works with Canadian Memoirs. He has a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Victoria and has taught for many years in the public school system, The Victoria School of Writing and the University of Victoria. He is a fiction writer and enjoys helping people with writing their own Memoirs. This book is intended for those who wish to accomplish this task on their own.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Memoir Writing Tip #1: Things To Think About Before You Begin

Purpose

What Your Memoir Represents

Time and Commitment

Reading and Experience

Memoir Writing Tip #2: Time To Get Started

Where To Begin

Writing Non-fiction In A Fictional Way

Show Don't Tell

Active vs. Passive

Dialogue

Memoir Writing Tip #3: In Medias Res

Memoir Writing Tip #4: Ah, Yes. Time To Edit

Editing Must Take Place

In Summary

Memoir Writing Tip #5: Your Much Needed Friend

What To Look For In A Friend

Where Do I Find One?

Time Is Your Good Buddy

Warning

Memoir Writing Tip #6: The Final Stage - Publication

The Agent Route

Traditional Submission to Publishers

Self-publishing

Epilogue

Memoir Writing For Smart People

Prologue

This book is written with two suppositions in mind:

-writing is a whole lot of fun

-you, the budding writer, are smart

If you've been led to believe that writing is drudgery, a long and tiresome process that only belongs to pedants with self-destructive tendencies, that writers have either been touched with an extraterrestrial wand or eventually end up killing themselves and these are beliefs you hold on to, you have two choices. Enter a ten-year, once-a-month therapy program, possibly sponsored by an organization in your local community that sympathizes with people misguided enough to try to be writers OR follow the virtuous instruction in this book and come along for the ride.

You are smart. True, you haven't come up with a cure for steaming up your glasses when hovering over a hot cup of tea, outside of removing said glasses which makes approaching the hot cup of tea problematic, but you are smart. You opted for this book. You could have chosen Memoir Writing For Dummies but no, you knew better. You are reading Memoir Writing For Smart People and you have chosen a book that suits you.

This book might seem like a mystery at first, but better to think of it as an adventure. An adventure that you will tailor to suit (love how tailor and suit work together here) your needs. There are no guarantees in writing. If you read this book from beginning to end there is only