Comments on: What does Dani Shapiro, or any of us, really want? http://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/dani-shapiro-desires/ 140 Essays to Help You Read and Write Memoirs by Jerry Waxler Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:29:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: jerrywaxler http://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/dani-shapiro-desires/#comment-1800 jerrywaxler Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:32:55 +0000 http://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/?p=139#comment-1800 Hi Marianne: Hopefully your critique readers' frustration will keep them turning pages. This tension between what the audience knows versus what the characters know is rampant throughout literature. For example, what would "Romeo and Juliet" be like if the players knew everything the audience knew? I find that I have to force myself to create tension in readers, because as a "nice guy" I would always rather make people feel good. Story writers have the responsibility to generate tension, so the reader has some relief to look forward to. Angela, While I research memoir writing, I am learning so much about all sorts of story telling. Memoirs are the Rosetta Stone, providing a language that links life and literature. Jerry Hi Marianne: Hopefully your critique readers’ frustration will keep them turning pages. This tension between what the audience knows versus what the characters know is rampant throughout literature. For example, what would “Romeo and Juliet” be like if the players knew everything the audience knew? I find that I have to force myself to create tension in readers, because as a “nice guy” I would always rather make people feel good. Story writers have the responsibility to generate tension, so the reader has some relief to look forward to.

Angela, While I research memoir writing, I am learning so much about all sorts of story telling. Memoirs are the Rosetta Stone, providing a language that links life and literature.

Jerry

]]> By: Angela http://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/dani-shapiro-desires/#comment-1799 Angela Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:55:42 +0000 http://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/?p=139#comment-1799 Interesting blog and a great, insightful post. Ironically, from someone who doesn't write memoir, I can see great value from studying memoir as you have and applying what is learned to forge a better understanding of my fiction character's motivations. Thanks! Interesting blog and a great, insightful post. Ironically, from someone who doesn’t write memoir, I can see great value from studying memoir as you have and applying what is learned to forge a better understanding of my fiction character’s motivations. Thanks!

]]> By: Marianne http://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/dani-shapiro-desires/#comment-1793 Marianne Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:32:18 +0000 http://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/?p=139#comment-1793 I think it's interesting that you mentioned knowing things as a reader that she might not have known in the story. Of course the ability to write a story after it's happened means that the writer 'knows' where he /she went wrong, right? But it's okay for the character in the story to not know. The writer is portraying herself as she was at the time. Can you tell my critique group that? As they read my story they kept saying, 'How could you not have seen x,y,z? We're frustrated as readers and want to know that you've grown!' Well, if I hadn't grown, I wouldn't have written the damn thing! I think it’s interesting that you mentioned knowing things as a reader that she might not have known in the story. Of course the ability to write a story after it’s happened means that the writer ‘knows’ where he /she went wrong, right? But it’s okay for the character in the story to not know. The writer is portraying herself as she was at the time. Can you tell my critique group that? As they read my story they kept saying, ‘How could you not have seen x,y,z? We’re frustrated as readers and want to know that you’ve grown!’ Well, if I hadn’t grown, I wouldn’t have written the damn thing!

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