Welcome to the new Story Circle Network blog. We're a group of almost a dozen women writers sharing our passion for the art and craft of lifewriting. Browse through our contributors to see what we write about, then take a few moments to subscribe. We look forward to getting to know you!
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Opening Salvos #8 by Matilda Butler
Add a “Take Away” To Your Opening
What do pizza-by-the-slice and memoir openings have in common? Before I get into that, let me tell you about an intriguing interview that Kendra Bonnett and I just had with Jessica Bram. Jessica’s memoir, Happily Ever After Divorce: Notes of a Joyful Journey, has recently been published. As a writer (The New York Times, Women’s Journal, Child Magazine, etc.), speaker (National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” etc.) and teacher (Westport Writers’ Workshop that she founded), Jessica both practices and preaches (well, teaches) about the craft of memoir writing. In the interview, Jessica answered umami questions such as:
-- When do you know if you have rewritten a piece
enough?
-- What is the difference between positive and
constructive feedback?
-- What do you do when you go off on tangents when you write? How do you recognize
a tangent?
-- When you write a memoir, how do you “serve the reader?”
-- How do you know when it is time to write about that traumatic time in your life?
-- Can you write a memoir even if you don’t have an upbeat message?
-- And more questions from women memoir writers.
Near the end of our interview, I asked Jessica to share with us her experience in writing the opening for her memoir. Although she talked about several factors she wanted to include as well as the many rewrites required to get it “right,” I think you’ll appreciate her concept of the “take away.”
So, finally, I’m back to pizza-by-the-slice and memoir openings. We know about take away foods and pizza is frequently in that category. In many food courts across the country, you can walk up to a counter and purchase a slice. There’s more still in the pan, but you have something to eat right now. Similarly, Jessica talks about providing a take away for your readers right in the opening of your memoir. It is a small slice of your memoir. It gives your reader an immediate treat, something to think about, something that tells your reader where you are going.
Notice in the photo above how the cheese strings still link the slice back to the rest of the pizza? Similarly, the take away you provide in your opening needs to be written in a way that continues to tie it to the rest of the memoir.
Want to learn more about Jessica’s advice on memoir openings? CLICK HERE.
If you would like to hear her entire interview, visit our website: www.womensmemoirs.com
M. Jane Ross
Just home from the annual Writers' League of Texas Agents Conference—a weekend of intense listening, learning, getting to know some warm-hearted and talented Texan writers, meeting agents, and pitching stories. In a detour from my usual topic of food, I wanted to share my takeaways (the non-edible kind) from the weekend. Three key points rose to the top in the ocean of information that was the conference.
In two words: upheaval and distress! Publishers, and by extension agents and writers, have been badly affected by the recession. Book buyers simply have less money to spend. And beyond that, corporatization and consolidation in bookselling and trade publishing as well as huge transitions in the way we all read, how and where we buy books, and the kinds of books we are buying have thrown the book business into disarray.
Until recently, big-name publishers were very willing to invest in mid-list titles, books by unknown authors that were likely to sell “only” in the tens of thousands of copies. Now, those same publishers are looking primarily for front-list titles (blockbuster books by high profile authors, likely to sell hundreds of thousands of copies) or back-list titles (books that are likely to develop a required-reading quality in some area of the market and to become automatic re-orders at Barnes and Noble over many years). So where does that leave the memoir writer and the typical SCN author?
Alas memoir writers’ prospects in New York trade publishing are not promising, unless the story has both exceptional writing —“sparkling” was the word used by several agents—and a unique angle. Agent Jim Hornfischer gave the example of an author he had agreed to represent as a result of pitch session at a writers conference. The author worked as a volunteer in canine search and rescue. Her story was a memoir about the work she did with her dog, whether searching for the remains of the Columbia astronauts across the fields of north Texas or finding missing children in her community. Hers is a unique and poignant story with drama and a clear narrative arc as the author learns to handle loss and to work with communities in trauma.
Few of us have a story this unique or dramatic. More often, our memoirs are the stories of learning to deal with the trials and losses that are inherent in relationship and in life, within the communities (geographical, religious, professional, and other) in which we move. But although our stories may not have the drama and potential to attract a national book audience, as writers we can (and should) stay focused on crafting that sparkling prose. And we can focus too on reaching our own unique platform and audience by other means, whether through self-publishing, blogging, or a small-press publisher.
Agents stressed repeatedly the importance of knowing your platform. If you’re Dr. Phil, your platform is your TV show and the show’s audience. For us non-celebrities, our platforms are the communities in which we live, work, play, volunteer, pray, share, etc. If your memoir is of caring for an aging parent suffering from Alzheimers and you are active in an online forum for Alzheimer caregivers, the readers of that forum are part of your platform. If you blog and write about herbs, then your blog readers and other herbalists are part of your platform. Your platform includes both the medium by which you connect with others interested in your subject and the number of engaged readers you’re able to reach through that medium. However you plan to publish your story, you need to identify your platform. You’ll include that information in your book proposal, and you’ll refer to it as you craft the marketing plan for your book.
The best takeaway from the conference for me personally was being reminded that there is a supportive community of writers out there, sharing this journey. Beyond that, I’ve made connections with reputable agents and learned what they are looking for so I can bring that knowledge with me when I talk to my editing clients and writing circle members. I’ll soon be announcing my manuscript evaluation service. The conference experience brought me fresh knowledge and connections so I can better help writers who come to me for assistance as they take the next step towards publication.
There's so much more I could tell you about the conference. But why don't you tell me what you'd like to know. Looking forward to your questions, which I'll answer in subsequent posts.
Have you ever gazed upon the clouds and identified other image within the cloud formation? How about peering into the dew-laden blades of grass and seeing diamonds or crystals? Some of Mother Nature's most common occurrences can easily be used to set your muse in motion.
Clouds.... who or what do you see in each of the puffy white wonders? What memories of childhood cloud-gazing are brought to life when you repeat the activity as an adult?
Raindrops.... Have you ever taken a walk through a forest or garden after the rain? What struck you the most about the ways in which the raindrops mingled with the plant life? Try spending some time peering into the raindrops that have perched on the grass, leaves and flowers... and then allow your mind to take you on a trip down memory lane to rains and nature walks of days long gone.
Rainbows... Whether it is the memory of a family viewing of the movie "The Wizard of Oz" and the well known song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" or it is a memory of the appearance of a rainbow at a significant time in your personal life, almost everyone has a rainbow story
Lightening, ice, fog ...... all of these evoke such powerful memories for me when I take the time to stop and appreciate the wonder of Mother Nature's beauty and mystery. How about you? Are there stories within that are just waiting for the perfect nudge from Mother Nature? Spend some time over the next two eeks or so communing with Mother Nature's phenomenon and turn those moments into opportunities to write your own stories.
This week I've been in Georgia O'Keeffe country in northern New Mexico, teaching a workshop on integrating nature into your daily spiritual practice. It occurred to me that the basics of the workshop could be useful for helping writers conjure up the specifics of place for writing about our lives.
So here are some tips from that workshop to help root your writing in the landscapes your life grew from.
Imagine yourself flying over the landscape you write about--not at the height of a cross-country jet flight, but more like that of a soaring hawk. What does the earth below you look like? How is it shaped? What parts are wild, cultivated, paved over? What do you see when you look east? South? West? North? What are the physical landmarks that bound those four cardinal directions? The human landmarks? What does the sky overhead look like?
Now come back to the ground. Where are you in that landscape? How do you know where you are, that is, what makes the place distinctive to you?
Close your eyes and listen. What do you hear? Keep them closed for at least a minute. What is different about the information you notice from your senses when your eyes are closed?
Take a few deep breaths with your eyes. What do you smell? What does the air feel like on your skin? Is it warm? Cold? Sticky? Dry? If the wind is blowing, what does it feel like? Can you smell anything on the wind? What direction is it coming from?
Open your eyes and look about you. Who else lives in this landscape besides humans? (Here's a sidebells penstemon with a wasp pollinating its flowers, for instance.) These other species, from the tiny microbes that animate the soil, help the plants grow and cleanse the air and water that passes through it to the big "charismatic" species like whales, cypress trees, pronghorn antelope, or bald eagles. Name ten domestic and/or cultivated species that share this landscape with us. Now name ten wild species.
Add this community to your daily life by stopping to greet one species every day. Notice what that species is doing, where it lives, what relationships define its life. Just as you know the human community and its characters, get to know the lives that make up the community of the land. Honor them with your awareness, and they will bring your writing to life, rooting it richly in place.
Matilda Butler - Opening Salvos #7
Try story poems.
In these Opening Salvos blogs, I usually provide insights from my interviews with memoir authors. This month, I’d like to invite you to help shape our upcoming interview with author, fellow blogger and SCN member Janet Riehl.
Janet made numerous presentations based on her memoir Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary. She often enlivened her readings with a bit of music (she plays the violin) and additional family anecdotes. Afterwards, she often heard comments about how much the music and stories added to the emotion of the poems. Finally, she decided it was time to take the words of praise seriously.
That began her journey to create a CD, now released, called Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry & Music. Ask Janet how she did this. Ask her how story poems might help you in your own writing. Ask her any question you’d like that will give you ideas and suggestions for your own writing.
You can CLICK HERE to read her guest blog and writing prompt. Then just ask your question in the Comments field. We’ll include your question in our live interview with Janet on Thursday June 11 at 10 AM Pacific Daylight Time (1 PM Eastern). Details on phone number and access code are provided in the blog - CLICK HERE. If you can’t listen in, we’ll post the audio of the interview on Monday June 15 on our website, www.womensmemoirs.com
Don’t let yourself get bogged down. There are many creative ideas that will spark your imagination and your writing.
Life is a series of decisions made at the crossroads of our journey. Every decision takes us down a different road where we experience the consequences--good and not-so-good ones--that result. In other words, life is not a straight line, from birth to death, but a roadmap full of twists and turns. Some roads are chosen for us by our parents or some other authority; others we choose for ourselves; still others may be roads we travel with our peers. Some roads are well marked; others are dark and secret. Some are experienced with family and friends,and some are explored alone.
So how does a person make sense of her life experiences so that she can begin to shape her stories? One the best ways, in my opinion, is to make a list of turning points. A turning point is that crossroad that marks a difference in your growth as a person--that time in your history where you changed in some significant way.
For example, the day you had your first period. Before that day you were a girl, maybe even a tomboy. But then your menes came, and your body changed. What prepared you for this day? Were you looking forward to becoming a young woman, or had your mother warned you of "The Curse," so that you were dreading this day? How did you feel... powerful? scared? confused? Did you talk about it with your friends? Maybe you were the first one or the last one in your group to go through this rite of passage. Explore your feelings as well as the facts that you remember about those early days.
Other turning points can include whatever is important to you: skipping school and getting caught; failing algebra (or making the top grade in the class); first paying job; death in the family; facing a bully... The turning points are yours to list.
But then examine them. Why do they stand out in your memory? Is there a pattern? Did facing adversity shape you into the strong woman you are today? Write about it.
Our May post ended with our heroine (you, dear reader) dangling from the cliff of fear. Your precarious dilemma? Do you confront your fears, or do you stay far away from the cliff and stuck in your comfortable, although dissatisfying, patterns?
In 1948, animation director Chuck Jones created the best chase scenes of all time with the Road Runner cartoons. When Wile E. Coyote chases Road Runner to the cliff, Road Runner scurries off to the side of the ledge with a cheery “Beep, beep!” On his website, Kevin McCorry points out that “Nothing happens to Wile E. Coyote that Wile E. does not initiate. Road Runner can only harm him after the chase has already begun by suddenly beep-beeping and startling Wile E. into various dangers, such as falling off a cliff or a jump upward which hits his head.”
It makes more sense creatively to be Road Runner rather than Wile E. Coyote. Be prepared, savvy, clever, and brave. Don’t let fear propel you over the cliff; put your fear to work.
Let’s look at a case study. “Helen” is a sister member of Story Circle Network. She struggles with balancing roles of family and work, a classic situation in modern life for many women.
Helen is a lover of words and an avid reader. To the question “What brings you to life?” her answer is, quite simply—writing. She loves attempting to craft feeling and meaning with carefully chosen words. She reads books slowly, because she frequently runs to her notebook to write down new ideas.
Helen is also the mother of 5 children, ages 7 to 18. She has spent most of her life at home with her children but returned to the work force as a substitute teacher 3 years ago. She now finds herself at home again after education cuts. Now she is trying to figure out how to organize her time to devote more of her day to her writing.
Helen’s fear is that if she pursues her love of writing, she won’t fulfill her obligations as wife, mother, and homemaker. She sees herself teetering on a balance beam with her domestic role on one side and her role as a writer on the other. There are days when Helen wonders why she bothers. What makes her think she has anything to say? Why would she want to take away from her family for something so selfish?
Helen’s dialogue with fear went something like this:
Helen: Fear, what do you need?
Fear: I need to know that we are not letting down our family. I’m afraid that our family is suffering because of the writing.
Helen: Fear, what do you want?
Fear: I want to figure out a way to do both without feeling guilty.
Helen: What are you offering, Fear?
Fear: I’m pointing out that this is our chance to figure it out.
Helen continued her dialogue with her fear. She put forth ideas, listened when Fear brought up potential pitfalls, and explored alternatives to find a better balance between family and writing acceptable to both her and her fear.
As a first step Helen is experimenting with setting intentions as Noelle Oxenhandler suggests in The Wishing Year. Her intention is to make the time and space to sit, writing her way back home. She is also using our Creative Catalyst post on creating a writing practice (See our archives at http://is.gd/zfY8.) As her experiment progresses and the situation changes, Helen will need to go back to her dialogue to resolve new issues.
We are our own best experts on our desires and fears. There is no one more capable of resolving the tension between the two. Like a diplomat in an international skirmish, offer to shake hands with your fear and work out a compromise. Don’t set yourself up to be the hapless Wile E. Coyote, plunging headfirst over the cliff. Better to be the problem-solving Road Runner. Beep-beep!
_______________________________________
Column written by Janet Grace Riehl of St. Louis in collaboration with Stephanie Farrow of Albuquerque. July’s post, third and last in this cycle considers: “Can we negotiate with fear?
Pose questions about practical creativity; give
ideas for future cycle themes; and join in the dialog in the comment section
below. If you’d like to see previous articles in this series, go to
http://storycircle.typepad.com/scn/creativity/
1) Go to www.riehlife.com to sign up for a free download of a 10-minute
audio from “Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music.”
2) Follow Janet’s internet tour for her new audio book during June and July. Click BOOKSTORE for calender, reviews, videos and Treasure Chest clues that give you a chance to win a free "Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poems and Music."
3) Comment on www.womens.memoirs to have your question chosen for "Memoir Moment" as Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler interview Janet on a live call-in.
Congratulations to Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett on the launch of the SCN Editorial Service—I’m delighted to be a participant in the service. As Kendra said in her recent blog post, a good editor plays an important role in helping the author craft her work. When we’re working to the highest level of our calling, we editors help the author to speak more clearly in her own voice and to recognize and articulate her deepest aspirations for her writing.
I’ve been a freelance editor for 13 years. Early on, all my clients were large publishing companies. Self publishing was rare. Recently I’ve noticed many more inquiries coming through my freelance business from authors who want to learn more about the many ways to approach the question, “how do I get my book published?” Publishing has been democratized by self-publishing and especially thanks to print on demand. Authors are feeling empowered to pursue their own dreams for their writing, whether seeking an agent and publisher or self-publishing. And they’re not afraid of the steep learning curve involved in approaching publishing from either angle.
Just this week, I exchanged emails with one of the members of the editorial team for Kitchen Table Stories. She wanted some advice on where to start with a self-publishing project similar to KTS that her local writers' group was planning. My reply to her may be helpful for others interested in the process:
There are many many steps in the process of producing a professional-looking anthology and you'll want to check who among your group has some of the skills you’ll need for all these steps. The more you can do with volunteer labor, the less you'll have to pay out of your pocket. The steps include:
• coordinating the submission process and selecting the pieces to include,
• editing the pieces so that they conform to a house style,
• getting author feedback on edits and finalizing changes,
• formatting headings etc. by applying the correct Word styles,
• selecting any art or illustrations needed,
• coming up with a design (fonts, type size, indents, spacing, etc.),
• doing the layout,
• proofreading,
• inputting corrections,
• making sure the copyright page includes all the necessary info,
• designing a cover,
• writing cover copy,
• making arrangements to get an ISBN if desired,
• commissioning art or finding an illustration or photo for the cover,
• laying out the cover,
• outputting all files in a format that the printer can use,
• getting files to the printer,
• checking a proof of the printed book.
As you can see there's a lot to think about, and there are many choices to be made along the way. The SCN editorial service can provide you with the editing and proofing assistance you'll need. And I’d be happy to help any authors who want to take up the self-publishing (or the traditional publishing) challenge and need some guidance.
Blackberry Winters, Indian Summers and ???
It's May and everywhere I look the emphasis is on summer's immenent arrival. Everywhere except in the air where store merchandising schedules mean nothing and Mother Nature has the final word. Here in northeast Tennessee not more than ten days ago we had "Blackberry Winter"—the blackberries are in bloom but the temperatures are more winter-like than late spring-like. Just when I thought it was safe to pack away the winter clothes, I woke to find temperatures in the 30's.
As I sat and contemplated this "Blackberry Winter" phase I realized that there are other fleeting seasons named by ... well... by whom? Indian Summer... Harvest Moon... Blackberry Winter... Halcyon Days... I'm certain that some of you can name more such days in nature.
What names would describe certain phases of your life? What name would tell someone who doesn't know you exactly who you are this month of May? Why not spend some time in the days ahead reflecting on various times in your life—give those phases appropriate names much like the Blackberry Winter we've just had here in Tennessee?
Are you in a place in your writing life that seems to be a major flood? or perhaps a phase that resembles a drought? Has your writing experience opened you up to rainbows and sunshine or dark clouds and storms? Mother Nature provides us with so many examples of the mix of positive and negative forces coming together... So does the practice of writing life stories.
Kendra Bonnett--Getting Read #6
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