The Memoir Revolution

Tag: Storytelling

May 22, 2014

What Happens When a Memoir Author Chooses Fiction?

Fiction, interview

David Kalish, Fiction, novel based on life, roman a clef, stories, Storytelling

Because David Kalish, author of The Opposite of Everything is apparently an expert in opposites, I interviewed him about these two forms of narrative, memoir and fiction, and asked him how and why he stepped through that mysterious stargate into the limitless realm of imagination.

Written by

Jerry Waxler
May 21, 2014

When Does a Memoir Writer Choose Fiction Based on Life?

Fiction

David Kalish, Fiction, novel based on life, roman a clef, stories, Storytelling

To learn these skills, I often find myself learning from fiction writers. They are the keepers of storytelling, building on a craft that has been evolving for thousands of years, adjusting and shaping reality in order to captivate the minds of their readers. Even though memoir writers adhere to the truth, sometimes the need for…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
October 9, 2013

How Can an Adult Learn to Write Stories?

Aging, Courage to Write, Family

Aging, courage, Family, fear, groups, motivation, social anxiety, Storytelling, Toastmasters, Writing

For decades I assumed that since I had not grown up telling stories, I would never learn. Then in my fifties, I became interested in memoir writing. The problem was that without storytelling skills, I would never be able to write the story of my life.

Written by

Jerry Waxler
July 22, 2013

Compelling Chapters Knit Small Stories into Powerful Memoirs

How-to, Slash Coleman, Storytelling, Writer’s Motivation

Bohemian Love Diaries, chapters, memoir, performing, Slash Coleman, Storytelling

Another way to reach readers is to develop a blog. Even if at first you have no readers, writing the blog will let you see yourself as a performer. When the comedian Steve Martin was starting his career, he went on stage and looked out to an empty restaurant. The manager told him to perform…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
January 19, 2011

More Fantasy Techniques To Help Your Memoir

Andre Agassi Open, Myths

Andre Agassi, elixir, memoir, potions, raquets, Storytelling, weapons

Each James Bond adventure begins with a visit to Q, who provides special purpose tools of war, communication, and deception. This mythical role of the weapons master turns up in a variety of stories. “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy was loaded with experts in the intricate arts of swords, axes, and arrows. And the…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
January 16, 2011

Cast of Characters in His Chosen Clan

Andre Agassi Open, Myths

allies, Andre Agassi, Celebrity, clan, hero, memoir, Storytelling, technique

I used to think that heroes tended to be lonely but after I read Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” I realized they are not so lonely after all. It’s true they must leave home to go off to their adventures, which at first makes them seem isolated. But they soon collect allies.…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
August 4, 2009

Memoir Writing as a Form of Therapy

Favorites, Introspection, Lifelong Learning, therapy

featured, healing, Introspection, memoir, Storytelling, therapy

After all this work, I finally found a way that begins to make sense. Rather than speculate who I might be, I simply can review who I really am. Memoirs are a fascinating window into the workings of life, and they are filled with lessons that don’t require any jargon or psychological theory.

Written by

Jerry Waxler
May 19, 2009

Interviewing is an Act of Love, Even After Memory Starts to Fail

Aging, Associations/Training, Family Memoirs, Oral History

Aging, Alzheimer’s, interviewing, Oral History, Personal Historian, Storytelling

And so it was with great interest that I recently heard that the StoryCorps is investigating this exact problem, trying to find the stories of those whose memory is starting to fail. The program is called the Memory Loss Initiative. To learn more, I interviewed Dina Zempsky, senior outreach coordinator of the initiative.

Written by

Jerry Waxler
March 31, 2009

Yin and Yang of Storytelling – Dramatic Tension of Opposites

Coming of age, Family, Immigration Experience, Writing Workshop

Creative Nonfiction, dramatic tension, Fiction, immigration, opposites, Storytelling, technique, truth, yin yang

Each story shows characters caught in the emotions and circumstances of ordinary life, and yet despite their ordinariness, I feel engaged in their struggles, turning the page to learn more. As I seek to understand how Susan Muaddi Darraj has accomplished her hold on me, I notice a particular feature of the writing. She has…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
January 14, 2009

Link isolated anecdotes into a story with the power of your beliefs

Coming of age, Introspection, Lifelong Learning, Madison Wisconsin, My own life

60’s, Coming of age, How-to, Introspection, Madison Wisconsin, memoir, memory, Storytelling, Writing Prompt

A memoir starts with a single anecdote. Then another, and another. In our imagination, we know these events formed our life. But other people can’t read our imagination. They can only read what’s on the page. We must transform the anecdotes into a compelling story. The memoir writer’s job is to discover the binding that…

Written by

Jerry Waxler