The Memoir Revolution

Tag: Short Story

December 17, 2013

A Book of Short Stories Expands My Memoir Collection

60’s, How-to, Short Story

60’s, anthology, collection, feminists, memoir, Short Story, sixties

By juxtaposing this variety of perspectives, the editors have created a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. This anthology is a compelling, satisfying reading experience that sets a high bar for the emerging genre of life story collections.

Written by

Jerry Waxler
November 1, 2011

Interview with an Indian Lifestory Author, Part 2

Author Interview, International, Literary Publication

Bhaswati Ghosh, Hyderabad, India, journal, Lifestory, Short Story, travel

About six or seven years back, I joined an online writing community, the first for me, which mostly consisted of Americans as members. My interactions with these writing buddies enhanced my knowledge of Americanisms more than American English. That and reading international publications has enabled me to develop a style that I hope appeals to…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
October 25, 2011

Interview with an Indian Lifestory Author, Part 1

Author Interview, Lifestory

Bhaswati Ghosh, Hyderabad, India, journal, Lifestory, Short Story, travel

I did not intend to write it like a typical travelogue, as in my memory, the city of Hyderabad shall always remain entwined with the first few months of my marriage. This wasn’t just a new city for me; it was the first place I was exploring with my husband. This is where the two…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
October 18, 2011

Short Story and Six Writing Prompts: Locate Love in Space

Literary Publication, Short Story

Bhaswati Ghosh, literary publication, memoir, Short Story

I am mainly interested in full length memoirs, so when I clicked on a short life story about a woman in India, I only intended to glance at it. However, the style and subject matter drew me in and before I knew it, I reached the end. “Dispatch: Love in Hyderabad” by Bhaswati Ghosh expanded…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
December 31, 2009

Author Interview: Curtis Smith talks about publishing in Literary Journals

Author Interview, Literary Non-fiction, Literary Publication

Author Interview, Creative Nonfiction, Curtis Smith, essay, Literary Journals, literary nonfiction, Philadelphia Stories, Publishing, Short Story

At this year’s Philadelphia Stories Push to Publish conference, Curtis Smith played an important role, by throwing in a few choice comments about how much fun writing is. (To read more about his comments, click here ). One of the parts of writing that seemed to be working especially well for Curtis was his regular…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
April 9, 2009

Reading error teaches a writing lesson – or – A good character is hard to define

Literary Non-fiction, My own life, Writing Workshop

character development, Creative Nonfiction, Family, How-to, memoir, Short Story, Writing

Part of relating to a good story is to feel a personal connection with its characters. Now I need to develop the knack of portraying the people in my life onto the pages in my memoir. I have attended workshops, and read how-to books about this skill, but it has been eluding me until recently…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
March 25, 2009

Fiction built on a foundation of real life

Immigration Experience, Literary Non-fiction, Philadelphia Regional

Coming of age, Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, immigrant, melting pot, Philadelphia, Short Story, South Philly, story, truth

Fiction seems entirely different from memoirs. And yet, when I carefully compare the two forms, I discover they are intimately connected, each breathing life into the other. A good memoir is more than just a raw dump of facts. It generates dramatic tension by using fiction techniques like suspense and character development. And the support…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
July 1, 2008

6 Life Story Writing Prompts Inspired by a Book of Short Stories

How-to, Storytelling, Writing Prompt

Fiction, memoir, Short Story, Writing Prompt

What Xujun did in fiction, you could do in reality, developing a series of stories that gradually add up to portraying your life. Review your list of powerful transitions, such as a love gained or lost, an accident, illness, peak accomplishment, or realization that changed. (If you don’t have such a list, start it today.)

Written by

Jerry Waxler