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| Be true to your voice in memoir |
Restructuring the
memoir is fine. Works in progress go
through many revisions. The first draft
is usually…ahem…vomit, anyway. Okay, at
least mine are. And I need to remember
not to compare my “drafts” with the finished, edited work of other
writers.
But as I redraft and restructure
my memoir, I keep coming back to the same sticking point. Every time I grab a new blank document and
try to open the memoir pithily, enticingly, I lose my voice. My memoir is not a philosophical tome. It’s meant to offer advice and humor to
parents contemplating lengthy endeavors, taking time away from the family. How a parent can cope with this. How they can succeed. It’s meant to inspire and show others how to
take courage and attempt something they may feel inadequate to accomplish. And, of course, it is meant to entertain.
Humor helped me get through ten
years of attending college part time while raising a family. It simply has to be part of my memoir.
The thing about my writing style is
my voice. Whether I’m giving
presentations or writing memoir, it’s the same.
It’s me. If you’ve read any of my
camping adventures on Camping with Kids you get the idea. A few critique partners, professors, and
writing facilitators noted that they enjoy my dry wit.
In my memoir, I have the voice of
innocence and the voice of understanding or experience. Memoir needs these two voices. The narrator must discover something from her
journey through memory and share that information with the reader. I must take the reader into the scenes of my
struggles as a parent in college. I
can’t seem to move forward in my memoir any other way. I can’t babble on in thought. I’ve condensed scenes dramatically and left
others bleeding on the floor and added much, in the first two chapters, by way
of insight. Perhaps this pass through
revision will leave me feeling better prepared for beta readers.
Oh, by the way, my short stories
don’t share this humorous voice. Not
everyone, characters or people, can be me. And
this is probably a good thing. Just ask
my family.
Good luck with editing your memoir! Don't lose your voice.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. My voice is what makes the memoir interesting; it's what makes the memoir mine. Thank you for visiting my Adventures in Writing blog, Michelle. It is truly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteDon't cut yourself short on your own insight into how your book should read. Cutting out the humour may alter what you want to get across to your reader. I am not a specialist in revision by no means. In fact, I am revising my book right now, but one thing that I've found out the hard way is that readers like well written books that draw them in.
Good luck.
Shalom,
Pat Garcia
Thank you so much for this advice, Pat. And welcome to my Adventures in Writing blog. The humor is me; it's how I look at the world and any stress I come up against. Again, thank you, Pat for visiting Adventures in Writing. Please stop by again.
DeleteThe best advice I've ever heard about voice said to relax and let it flow; it would develop with time and practice. But it certainly can be a tricky thing, depending on what you are writing. You are wise to step back and assess the big picture. Wish you all the best with your projects.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karen, for your insight into voice. I feel most at home in my voice when I show readers scenes from my college years. And humor splashes through. Thanks for visiting my Adventures in Writing blog and leaving a note. It is greatly appreciated.
DeleteI think people always appreciate humor shining through. I'm sorry you're hitting these walls. Revision isn't easy. But at least the story is down.
ReplyDeleteThis is true, Theresa. And thank you for your kind words. No, revision is not easy, and it helps to have the story down to be able to adjust it. It's the global edits I'm not sure about yet. Thanks so much for visiting my Adventures in Writing blog and leaving a note. It is always great to hear from you.
DeleteI have just switched genres and I have found that my voice followed. No matter how I might want to write a certain way, I write like who I am and ultimately that's best. Let your voice shine through!
ReplyDeleteHello and welcome, Terri. Thank you for stopping by my Adventures in Writing blog and leaving a note. It is greatly appreciated. Which genres do you write, Terri? I agree that it's best to write like who you are. I believe you are more genuine that way and that the reader will see this. Thanks again for stopping by Adventures in Writing.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Victoria. I did Margie Lawson Immersion class and my brain is mush at the moment with all new things I learned.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Nas. It is always wonderful to learn new things. Of course, sometimes it may take a bit to organize what you have learned and apply it. Good luck with everything, and thanks so much for visiting my Adventures in Writing blog. It is greatly appreciated.
ReplyDelete