Maybe You Shouldn’t Unleash “The Book That’s In You”
Academite Jane is, IMHO, right-on in her recent “5 Common Flaws in Memoir Projects” blog post @ Writer’s Digest blog There Are No Rules. From it:
- You have written a story focused on pain or victimhood—and nothing more…
- Your source material is a diary or journal…
- You want to tell about your experience as a means of self-help for others—that is, you mix the memoir and self-help genres…
- You have no definitive story arc or story problem…
- The story is not told with a fresh or distinct perspective…
Jane is completely right and I say this having performed a one woman show focused on pain or “victimhood”, written a book (which no longer exists in any form … phew) sourced from a diary, imagined the book tour for my “You Can Learn From My Life Story” theoretical future best-seller, assumed that clever phrases and a strong voice will obfuscate the fact that there’s neither hero nor journey, and …
Well, okay, if there’s one thing I bring to the table it’s a point of view.
But still. Most bright-eyed wannabe memoirists that I’ve met in my years of creative nonfiction writing classes need to let their story percolate for a while. Self included.
A+, Jane.
