Customer Reviews

Writing Life Stories: How To Make Memories Into Memoirs, Ideas Into Essays And Life Into Literature

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I found this book, I was in search of the perfect genre for two stories swirling through my head. The stories that I wanted to write did not seem to fit any particular genre until I read this book on memoir and personal essay. Like many people, I believed that memoirs where restricted to the lives of the famous. This book opened up a whole new world to me by defining memoir and showing how it is developed.

At times the author seemed unorganized and the book lacked the structure I normally preferred in an instructional book. As I continued to read, I discovered that he was in control and teaching me the skills needed for this unique style of writing.

I'm reviewing this book even though I'm only a third of the way through it. First, this book isn't one to just read through. Bill has included writing exercises in each chapter that are designed to allow you "access to memory, access to material, access to ideas, access to the unconscious, and finally, access to meaning" in your writing (Roorbach, p. 7).

I'm trying to do the exercises in order, but I'm not being too strict with myself about adhering to a schedule. I've found one exercise (chapter 4, "On...") that I like so much that I've done it three times, and I think it really is prodding me to examine some personal thoughts through writing. I have no doubt that this book is helping me to get at the core issues that I really want to write about.

Bill's writing voice makes for easy, enjoyable reading, and sometimes I find it a bit hard to stop reading and do the exercises. But, I do think they're worthwhile. There are 11 chapters: 1 Getting Started; 2 Memory; 3 Scenemaking; 4 Big Ideas; 5 Characters and Character; 6 Stage Presence; 7 Finding the Facts; 8 Metaphor and Meaning; 9 Saying it Right; 10 Building a Building; and 11 Getting Published.

This book has earned a permanent slot on my bookshelf and I think it's going to be one of those books that get revisited on a regular basis.

This is the book that I have been searching for for a long time. As a busy mom of three, I needed a "teaching book" that would give me concrete activities that I could work into my writing time. Reading this book and working on the subsequent "assignments" gives purpose to my very short writing time that I can squeeze into a day. If you are interested in writing memoir, but don't know where or how to start...this is the book for you.

Writing Life Stories: How To Make Memories Into Memoirs, Ideas Into Essays And Life Into Literature
Excellent guide for anyone writing memoirs. I used it as the textbook for a writing circle I run. Although the group doesn't focus on memoirs, the exercises are very good for anyone wishing to work with creative non-fiction.

The participants enjoyed the writing exercises, such as re-creating the first neighborhood they remembered living in as a map. An unexpected effect of memory-searching was that for several of us, old buried memories surfaced spontaneously in dreams.

This product is great as part of a writing course or for tips for beginning memoir writers or for writers struggling with creative nonfiction.

Very well written, I read it twice.
If you're a writer it will remind you of those little things you forgot to give your writing punch.

I love this book--have referred to it often. It will stay on my bookshelf

I usually try to say something positive about a book I read, or at least, not make any negative and abrasive comments for the ones I did not enjoy, but I just could not pass making a comment about this one. Sooo boring. How can I return it?