Memoir | The View Outside

Ok, lets get the cake porn out of the way first lol. Those of you on Facebook will have already seen this, but I’m sure you’ll cope with a second dose of Maple & Pecan Pie with Creme Fraiche 😉

Ok, so it wasn’t strictly cake, but I needed something hard core to cope with the evening ahead lol

Tonight’s class was all about Memoir. Not one of my fellow 11 students are writing a real memoir, but we discovered that a few of us are writing about themes and other stuff that is part of our own lives.

Some of my notes:

Is writing about your own life (fictionalising it) cheating?

There is a part of us that can relate to everything. All the characters we create are a part of us as they come from inside our heads.

Should writers have therapy to understand themselves better?

Investigate things that intrigue you, be curious, observe, have new experiences.

No ones life is dull. We all have experiences we can draw on.

Take the time to talk to people, ask them about their lives.

Every writer leaves parts of themselves in each of their novels.

Then it was time for my critique….shall I keep you in suspense? Ok, what I will say is that it was very positive, but there are some problems….but more about that on Wednesday for my IWSG post 🙂

So do you feel that you leave parts of yourself inside every novel you write? I know I do 😉

As a fairly new writer, I’ve kinda concentrated on fiction….but, a link on Jenny’s Blog recently, had me dashing over to Midlife Collage for a read.

Being that I am *cough cough* of a certain age, I am allowed to join this site *snigger*

I’ve never really considered the idea of memoir writing. I don’t think my life has been that interesting to warrant it. Who would actually want to read it? I didn’t have an awful childhood (by most standards) and as an adult, there have been major difficult times, but again, I don’t consider that I stand out from the crowd 🙂

Sooooo….a new challenge maybe? Life writing?

Me as a toddler 🙂 What feelings does that conjure up?

Have you ever tried writing memoir or do you tend to stick strictly to fiction?

I spent most of yesterday working on my final OCA assignment. I’ve managed to write a 2500 word romance, which was the story that I wrote for the prompt about being in a garden. I think it will be suitable for one of the women’s magazines, but I’m not quite sure which one yet. Will have to do some research 😉

Yesterday’s prompt was hindered by toothache 😦 but, the woman in the window breathed life into the start of a story about a female delivery driver, trying to deliver a parcel. I’m not too sure where it’s going, I’m thinking ghost story perhaps? 🙂 Tomorrow’s prompt is on the eve of the funeral so that’s conjuring up loads of ideas 🙂