L I N D A J O Y M Y E R S , P H D & B R O O K E W A R N E R

5 TIPS FOR WINNING MEMOIR WRITING CONTESTS

BROOKE & LINDA Linda Joy Myers, PhD, President of the National Association of Memoir Writers, is the author of Don’t Call Me Mother, The Power of Memoir, and Journey of Memoir.

Brooke Warner is the Publisher of SHE WRITES PRESS, and the president of Warner Coaching Inc. She’s the author of What’s Your Book? and How to Sell Your Memoir.

Together, Linda Joy and Brooke are the co-authors of Breaking Ground on Your Memoir: Craft, Inspiration, and Motivation for Memoir Writers

THE IMPORTANT DETAILS OF SCENE-WRITING1

What is a scene: How it works in a story

A scene is specific: a placea time framecharacterspurpose to the scene

SCENE-WRITING CONTINUED1

Sensual details help the reader feel how you experienced that moment in time.

These include: vivid descriptionssmellssounds textures the felt sense of the world which creates

an emotional experience for the reader

WRITE WITH YOUR THEME IN MIND2

What is theme?

How and when do you decide on your theme?

Why is theme important in memoir?

THEME CONTINUED2

Tips for writing with your theme in mind:Theme-colored glasses

Theme as the ground beneath you and the air you breathe

Create visual reminders in your writing space

HOW TO GET INTO YOUR READER’S HEAD3

Readers did not live your experiences. They need to be in your head to see and feel what happened.

Remember the reader's POV—your stories are new to them. They drop into your world, the world you create in your story.

The fictive dream.

GET INTO YOUR READER’S HEAD CONTINUED3

Tips for getting into your reader's head: Don't make assumptions readers know who

everyone is—tag your characters to keep them memorable.

Give context continuously throughout your book—where are you, who is with you, how are other characters related to you.

Note the time frame of ongoing events throughout your book—5 years later, a few weeks after we last talked, the next day.

WHAT TAKEAWAY IS AND WHY IT MATTERS4

What is takeaway?

Why takeaway makes a memoir memorable.

How to deal with takeaway in coming-of-age stories.

TAKEAWAY CONTINUED4

How to recognize good moments for takeaways: At the beginning of a scene—evoking

something universal that anyone can relate to.

At the end of a scene, recapping something meaningful to you that’s universally resonant.

Anywhere in your writing where you see an opportunity for a heart connection—takeaway is more about the heart than the head.

MAKE YOUR CHARACTERS COME ALIVE ON THE PAGE5

Introduce characters with physical descriptions, attitude, and context of your relationship to them.

Use character tags: hair colorstyle languagehabits

CHARACTERS CONTINUED5

Dialogue is part of character development. It brings people alive on the page.

No talking heads. Use body language and your reactions to show the outer and the inner world.

How you perceive other characters also characterizes you.

H IS FOR HAWK—SEPT 28 WRITEYOURBOOKINSIXMONTHS.COM/H-IS-FOR-HAWK-FREE-WEBINAR

FREE WEBINAR

Publishers often say "grief doesn't sell," and yet many memoirs tackle loss and grief and some, like H Is For Hawk, go on to become best-sellers. Why?

How detailed and sensory descriptions creates a living, breathing world in memoir and why it's critical that hone this skill.

The power of metaphor to reach the emotional heart of a story.

How obsession creates an energy that propels a story—and how to harness obsession in a powerful rather than alienating way.

And more!

MAGIC OF MEMOIR 2015WWW.MAGICOFMEMOIR2015.COMJOIN US!

Weekend-long memoir event—October 17 & 18—in Berkeley, CA.

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL ENDS TOMORROW: $299

HIGHLIGHTS:Craft and process sessions2 panels with experts and published memoiristsNetworking opportunities Incredible bonuses

Free Magic of Memoir t-shirt

Written evaluation of your memoir-in-progress

Hard copy of our book, Breaking Ground on Your Memoir

"What Made Eat, Pray, Love a Best-selling Memoir?" CD and bound transcript

2 free raffle tickets