This July, I facilitated a workshop where I prepared to discuss whatever type of writing they were interested in- memoir, playwriting, novel, poetry. Luckily most of the attendees were interested in writing memoirs. I am not an expert on writing memoir, but I took the approach that you should include fiction techniques in telling you story.

Here are my thoughts after our time together:

Stories about animals. Pets are an interest of many. OshKosh Camen Leal has a book about pets.  She is a mover and a groover, so she can show you how its done.  I would not be surprised if she has another pet anthology.  Here is her book-

https://wagawaypublishing.com/

Thoughts/reflections after a workshop

Memoirs

People should write their memoirs. Even if it is only to synthesis your journals or memories.

However, (I think) any memoir can be a good read and valuable. Just remember to-

-be sure to give the reader a story that they can relate to their own life or identify with.

-have a theme. Don’t try to cover your whole life (that’s an autobiography).

               -Instead include only what fits into your theme and the part of your life you are focusing on. Make sure it is so good that you can write/publish more books about your life.

-How did your experiences change you? A good story has a character arc. So show yourself in the opening of the story missing the lesson you need.  Show the cool events you want to show, but also include your internal landscape where you struggle.

Its good to have a high concept. A new take on a story. Here are some I heard at the workshop:

• Going to missionary work to help people but actually learning from them.
• Working the overnight shift of a nursing home and being there for them as they pass away.
  • That would make a good book- the story of working there and the poems that individual clients were the subject of-   Louis V Clark wrote Hot to Be an Indian In the Twenty-first Century. Over the years he wrote poems about his life and then he added the stories behind them. It was published by Wisconsin Historical Press.
• The memory of living in Paris, but focusing on the apartment building you live in.
• Someone who grew up in foster homes and also had a wife that passed away has insight into life that is rare and people can benefit from
• A Thanksgiving children’s book & Tender Mercies of each day would make a great memoir title.

Your memoir can be written in a chapbook of poems. Like Nuance of Time By Paul Christy

Make sure to write tension in the scenes. Set it up as you having a goal and someone trying to get in your way.  Even better if you don’t get that goal.  The tension can be between people, or the environment or yourself.

If your memoir has religious elements, there are a large selection of Christian book publishers. It is a big market, so a great market to sell your book to.

A memoir with religious elements has built in marketing. Your audience likes to get together and will want your story (Hint: Churches).

Free places to look for publishers:

Just google them.

Submission grinder

Self-publishing

-places like Direct2Digital, LuLu and Amazon Direct Publishing are good places to publish

-don’t pay to have your book published, but paying a company like Orange Hat (Milwaukee) to edit and create a book cover it a good thing to do.