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| 5 Reasons Why Writing a Memoir is Harder to Write Than Fiction |
5 Reasons Why Writing a Memoir is Harder to Write Than Fiction by J.Q. Rose
What is a memoir? A memoir is actually a slice of your life. If a pie is your entire life from birth on, then a memoir is just one piece out of the pie. That portion has one theme. For example, stories about the places you lived, your career, your travels, etc.
Let me count the reasons why writing a memoir is harder to write than fiction.
1. The hard part about writing a memoir is that it has to be true! You can't fudge that you have your Ph.D. and you were a professor at Harvard. No, that is fiction for most of us. In fiction, you can make up everything and anything and nobody cares if it's true. And in most stories, a reader has to suspend reality to go ahead and read it!
2. Reflecting on your life can be difficult, but freeing. Seeing your life through the lens of time helps us understand why things happen and puts a unique slant on situations or family members. Oh yes, many of us in fiction take great fun in making someone we hate a character in our story and then torment that character or even kill him off! But that is not the same pleasure as seeing your life in a completely different way--a new awareness.
3. Telling the truth can be painful. Re-living the difficult times in your life through memories can bring up those long-hidden feelings inside you. But writing about those times can be cathartic.
4. A memoir is based on memories and your memory of an event or situation may differ from others who witnessed it. This may cause some disagreement and hard feelings. But, since it is YOUR story, your memory wins out. Nobody argues with the author of a fictional story.
5. You are the main character in this story. Trying to decide what part of your life you want to share with others can be the point when you wish to just give up on telling your story. Passion about leaving a legacy to your family is needed to forge on. "You are the author of your life. Don't let anyone else tell it." I hope that quote will inspire you to keep going.
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Check it out as a journal paperback book or as a guide in the eBook format.
Your Words, Your Life Story: A Journal for Sharing Memories by J.Q. Rose
Now that you've read the book description,
you may want to know more about the journal for you or as a gift for someone in your life.
Click here to order the paperback journal.
Your Words, Your Life Story: A Guide to Sharing Memories
The content in the journal is available as an eBook,
a Guide to readers on telling their life stories.
Click here to download the digital copy from your favorite online bookseller.
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For group support, click here to join us at the Facebook Support Group,
Telling Your Life Story and Memoirs Circle.
Jog your memory, tips on memoir, informational videos, and meet like-minded people like you.
For group support, click here to join us at the Facebook Support Group,
Telling Your Life Story and Memoirs Circle.
Jog your memory, tips on memoir, informational videos, and meet like-minded people like you.
2 comments:
Hey, JQ. Loved this post. The thing you failed to mention is after you've lived and experienced a considerable amount of life, how do you pick? LOL This was very good. I shared. :)
Right, Marsha! LOL...Lots of living. Thank you for sharing!
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