Editing Tip # 37: Writing Your Memoir (part three)

Kathy Ide’s Editing Tips
© Kathy Ide, 2010

In this column, freelance author, editor, and speaker Kathy Ide shares tips on self-editing your manuscript.

~ Writing Your Memoir (part three) ~

The last two weeks I discussed some steps to creating a good memoir. In my last column I shared a few ways to incorporate fiction-writing techniques. Here are more of those.

D. Scenes. Considering your memoir’s chosen theme and your target audience, decide which parts of your life story would make interesting scenes. For cohesiveness, one scene should lead naturally to the next (unlike real life often does).

E. Beginning. Consider carefully the best place to start your story. The opening scene (even the opening paragraph) needs to hook readers, compelling them to continue reading to find out what happens next. (Each chapter should also end with a “cliff-hanger” that will entice readers to read “just one more chapter.”)

F. Backstory. Don’t start with a dramatic opening scene and then leave that scene to fill in a lot of information about what happened in the past that led up to it. Weave in specifically chosen details in tiny bits and pieces as they become important to the reader’s understanding of what’s happening in the current scene.

G. Conflict. Each scene should revolve around a particular conflict. If everything is going smoothly, that won’t be interesting to your reader. For every scene, ask yourself: What do you want? Why do you want it so badly? What’s stopping you from getting it? What are you willing to do to achieve your goals? What do you attempt to do? How does that work out for you?

H. Description. Invite readers to experience your story with you by including brief descriptions of the people and places. Provide just enough specifics for readers to visualize, but avoid superfluous details that don’t relate specifically to the story.

I. Dialogue. Dialogue makes a scene “come alive” and gives readers an insight into how the people communicated with each other as well as their personalities and moods. The words don’t need to be exactly what was said, just an accurate reflection that is authentic and relevant to your story. Do not use include dialect (spelling words the way they sound, such as droppin’ letters at the ends o’ words). Do not use profanity (even mild curse words or symbol substitutes), as this can offend some readers. (If cursing is integral to a scene, you may say that a character swore without using the actual words.)

J. Surprise. A good story occasionally surprises readers. If your memoir is too predictable, readers will get bored and stop reading.

K. Climax. All scenes in the manuscript should progressively lead toward a powerful climax in which it seems impossible for you to achieve your desires. The climax should come very near the end of the book.

L. Resolution. The last few pages of the book should show how you either reached the goal you established in the beginning or realized that you were better off going a different direction after all. How your memoir ends is as important as how it begins. While real life never gets tied up in tidy bows, the memoir needs a satisfying resolution to the particular theme being addressed. What message do you want readers to come away with after reading your story? Make sure that message is clearly communicated by the end. Don’t leave your readers hanging, but don’t draw out the resolution for too long either.

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NOTE: It is an infringement of copyright law to reproduce this
publication, in part or in whole, without the express permission of theauthor. To request permission, please e-mail Kathy@KathyIde.com.

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AUTHOR BIO:
Kathy Ide has written books, articles, play and movie scripts, short stories, devotionals, and curriculum. Her books include Polishing the PUGS and Fiction and Truth. Kathy is a full-time freelance editor, offering a wide range of editorial services for authors and publishers. She also speaks at writers’ conferences across the country. She is the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). To find out more, please visit www.KathyIde.com.

Learning Curves

BY SUZANNE WILLIAMS

Well, I finally did it. I bought a DSLR. I am excited; don't get me wrong. However, what has happened is exactly what I expected. I am back, in some ways, to being a beginner. There is now a learning curve between the knowledge I have acquired over the last ten years, and the knowledge I am lacking.

I keep asking myself how it will change me, as a photographer and a writer. I guess time will only tell.

Mushroom

My last camera never did sit right with me. You know how that is. It's like the time my husband and I bought a new car only to trade it a year later because we neither one liked it. I was finished with that camera not too long after I purchased it. If I'd had foresight, I would have returned it.

In the long run, I think it did damage to my photography. Oh, I took some great pictures with it. But unlike it's predecessor, it had less of a photographic range to work with. I equate it to taking photos on a leash. I could only go so far before I ran out of options. As time passed, I felt this more and more.

Why do we do that to ourselves? Why do we buy certain things only to discover it really isn't what we want after all? What happens between the shiny catalog advertisement and the actual owning of the object? You know, you buy the new pair of pants and then your spouse or a friend makes one comment and you never wear them again. That's kind of how I felt about that camera.

My husband suggested I sell it. He loves to sell things. My response was, "I wouldn't sell that camera to my worst friend." (Not that I have a worst friend.) So instead, I have buried it back in the closet. I think somehow it'll do its best work there.

Monarch Butterfly

I have now so much to learn, and I am looking forward to it. I pinch myself sometimes to see if I'm not dreaming, that I really CAN take that shot and it will turn out. My brain has yet to adjust. But I suspect when all is said and done, I'll adapt just fine.

After all, my philosophy hasn't changed. I still believe that anyone can make great photographs, no matter what camera they are using. Well, perhaps not if they have the one I just got rid of...

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Suzanne Williams Photography
Florida, USA

Suzanne Williams is a native Floridian, wife, and mother, with a penchant for spelling anything, who happens to love photography.

Civil War Romance

Reviewed by Phee Paradise

Unwilling Warrior
by Andrea Boeshaar

What I like about Unwilling Warrior is that it’s not quite genre fiction. It’s a romance, but throughout most of the book the main characters aren’t together. It’s set in the Civil War, which is essential to the plot, but the war is a backdrop to the real story. It’s has some espionage, but it’s not a spy novel. There’s something nefarious going on, but it’s not a mystery.

Valerie Fontaine is a New Orleans socialite whose mother dies. She meets Benjamin McCabe when her grieving father invites him to stay at their home, then abandons him to her hospitality. They are attracted to each other, but he is a poor preacher’s son from the frontier and her father has chosen someone else for her to marry. His plans won’t allow him to stay in New Orleans for long, so he pushes away his feelings for her.

At first the story seem fairly predictable, although enjoyable. But there is a mystery about Valerie’s father and Benjamin makes some mysterious contacts as well. Before long, both their lives unravel and Benjamin sends Valerie to his parents’ home in Missouri for safety. In spite of his family’s welcome, she succumbs to her doubts about his intentions. She wonders whether he is just being a gentleman or if he loves her.

At first I thought Unwilling Warrior was just another romance and I skimmed through it fairly quickly. But the conflict comes from several story lines and the story took several unexpected turns. An unforeseen enemy emerged who challenged Valerie, and she had to learn to trust and forgive. And just like in real life, some of the plot threads were not resolved neatly, although it has a feel good ending.

I definitely would put this book near the top of the historical romances I’ve read.

Pros: Romance, drama and intrigue set against the backdrop of the Civil War. The setting and history seem authentic and there are enough plot twists to keep you interested.

Cons: Occasionally modern day language creeps into the dialogue.


About the book

The War Between the States has Valerie Fontaine frightened about her future. She never suspects she’ll be thrust into the middle of it.

Benjamin McCabe’s got a noble dream of photographing the Civil War – and he never expected to fall in love with a New Orleans socialite.

When Valerie’s father is arrested on charges of treason, Ben secures a way for her to leave the city and travel to his family’s home in Jericho Junction, Missouri where she’ll be safe.

Can Valerie adjust to life on the prairie and remain true to her promise to wait for Ben no matter what the cost?

About the author

Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar has been married for more than 30 years. She and her husband, Daniel, have three adult sons, daughters-in-law, and two precious grandchildren. Andrea's educational background includes the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, where she studied in English, and Alverno College where she studied in Professional Communications and Business Management.

Finally her first novel was published in 1994. Since then she's written numerous articles and devotionals. Andrea has also published inspiration romance novels, women's fiction, and novellas.

In 2003, Andrea joined the Hartline Literary Agency and worked for Joyce Hart as a literary agent. She saw much success. But then in 2007, Andrea realized she was more of a teacher/encourager than a sales person. She left the agency and became a certified Christian life coach. Now, in addition to her writing, Andrea enjoys encouraging others to use their God-given talents and gifts to their fullest.

Andrea has taught workshops at such writers conferences as: Write-To-Publish; American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW); Oregon Christian Writers Conference; Mount Hermon Writers Conference and many local writers conferences. She also speaks at various churches and women's groups.

Another of Andrea's accomplishments is co-founder of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) organization. For many years she served on both its Advisory Board and as its CEO.

Editiing Tip # 36: Writing Your Memoir (part two)

In this column, freelance author, editor, and speaker Kathy Ide shares tips on self-editing your manuscript.

~ Writing Your Memoir (part two) ~

Last week I shared the first two steps to creating a good memoir. Here are two more.

Step 3: Study

A. Learn professional writing techniques by reading books about how to write, studying tips on authors’ and editors’ Web sites, attending writers’ classes, workshops, and/or conferences.

B. Read books and Web articles on how to write a memoir and read popular, recently published memoirs.

D. Learn fiction-writing techniques and read popular, recently published novels. Analyze how these authors used specific writing techniques.

If you do not want to take the time and effort to learn professional writing techniques, you may wish to hire a collaborator/ghostwriter to write your story for you. But the more you do yourself, the less your collaborator will have to do for you. This will not only save you money (and save both of you frustration), but you’ll be more likely to end up with a final manuscript you’re happy with and proud of.

Step 4: Incorporate Fiction-Writing Techniques

Although a memoir is based on true stories, it should be written in a way that reads like a novel. Events are shown (described in active scenes) rather than told (“This happened and then that and then this”). To make your memoir a page-turner, learn and utilize fiction-writing techniques.

Here’s a brief description of four fiction-writing techniques. I’ll cover more in next week’s column.

A. Plot. A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning shows the “main character” (you, the memoir narrator) involved in a conflict and doing something interesting. The middle of the book shows how you attempted to resolve the initial conflict and all the conflicts that came about as a result. It reveals your goals and the obstacles to those goals, as well as what you did to try to reach those goals and overcome the obstacles. The end has an exciting climax followed by a satisfying resolution.

B. Characters. In real life, we encounter many people who play a small part in our lives for a limited period of time. In a written story (even a true one), the appearance and disappearance of minor characters can be disconcerting for readers. Decide which people you’ve encountered had the most impact on the part of your life you’re going to share. Don’t include people simply because they’re important to you (or because you think they’ll be disappointed by not being mentioned in your book). Each individual in your story needs to be interesting to your readers, so include enough detail about them (and include them in enough scenes) so your reader gets to know them and like them (or at least understand them). If you choose to include people who have identical or similar names, consider how to differentiate them to avoid reader confusion.

C. Point of View. The entire memoir should be told from your perspective. Do not include anything that you couldn’t have known or experienced or observed personally.


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NOTE: It is an infringement of copyright law to reproduce this
publication, in part or in whole, without the express permission of the author. To request permission, please e-mail Kathy@KathyIde.com.

**********

AUTHOR BIO:
Kathy Ide has written books, articles, play and movie scripts, short stories, devotionals, and curriculum. Her books include Polishing the PUGS and Fiction and Truth. Kathy is a full-time freelance editor, offering a wide range of editorial services for authors and publishers. She also speaks at writers’ conferences across the country. She is the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). To find out more, please visit www.KathyIde.com.

Creating An Online Gallery

BY SUZANNE WILLIAMS

One of the most important tools for the budding amateur photographer is having an online gallery. Whether your goal is selling your photographs, drawing in new clients, or simply sharing your work, it is important that you have a definite location on the web.

There are numerous excellent websites, both free and for a nominal fee, dedicated to this purpose. It is not necessary to purchase webspace and learn html. However, the format of some might work better for you than others. The choice often comes down to personal taste.

Once you have chosen a website, there are certain guidelines towards creating a gallery that will draws in viewers. The fact is most viewers choose to look at your photographs based on their first five-second glance of the main page. Either something catches their eye and causes them to look deeper, or they are immediately bored and move on. With this in mind, I always turn to the old adage, "Variety is the spice of life."

Most non-camera viewers will find your gallery more interesting if there are a great variety of image thumbnails displayed on the front page. This means not putting all your pictures into the same album. Instead, break them up by subject - for instance, different locations or subject matter. Sometimes when one viewer likes looking at landscapes, another prefers insects or architecture. By providing an array of topics you will appeal to more people.

A portion of my Webshots page

Use an engaging title. An entire webpage with titles like "butterfly", "beach", and "garden" is not as inviting as something more descriptive. For instance, I have a gallery entitled "A Paper Moon". I chose that title from a 1940s era song. However, do avoid being too "campy". Stupid just looks like stupid.

Another Full Moon

Keep your content fresh. There are two ways of doing this. The most obvious is to regularly upload new content. It is important for your followers to know you are still out there doing something. Another method is to rotate your albums. If your website allows it, move the albums around now and again. Bring an older album back to the front page. I know I have pictures taken what feels like ages ago that are still worth looking at. This is especially important if you have a lot of work and many pages of albums. Usually people scan what's on the first page and never move to the second or third. By rotating your content, you allow everything you have on display to be seen.

Also, be sure you notify your regular viewers when you have something new. This requires commitment on your part, but it is the best way to keep yourself in their thinking. Social networks are a great way to do this. Barring that, use email contact lists or online photo groups. However, be sure you follow the rules of the group and don't offend the participants by using it as your personal advertising system.

Views of Bok Tower, Lake Wales, Florida

Lastly, choose your best shots. When assembling an album, pick the photographs you feel the most proud of, and pick those with different subjects and camera angles. Include wide angle views, abstracts, and macro shots. If you have two similar photographs, display only one of them or place them on separate pages. Don't make a habit out of uploading every single picture you took on one trip. Limit the content of your album to the number of photographs people will see. Twelve pages in one album is probably too many.

A great way to know how you want to set up your own online gallery is by viewing those of others. I have visited some that kept me looking for quite some time and others that I simply passed by.

In the end, by following these few simple tips you can more effectively exhibit your photographs both to new viewers and to faithful returnees. Always remember to be courteous when in contact with the public because when all is said and done, it is the public that will help your reach your goal, no matter what direction you have chosen. Be sure to always "put your best foot forward" first.


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Suzanne Williams Photography
Florida, USA

Suzanne Williams is a native Floridian, wife, and mother, with a penchant for spelling anything, who happens to love photography.