1. Write it fast, fix it later.
2. Commit to writing 16 ? minutes per day or 3 hours per week. If it is easier for you, commit to writing 3 pages a day.
3. Quality is more important than quantity. If you only get one paragraph done but it conveys your feelings and paints a picture the reader can see, then it is good.
4. Write stand-alone anecdotes, stories or chapters. You can connect them later with a theme, but if you don't the "pearls" will still have great value.
5. Make sure each piece has a "hook" which brings the reader in, a "middle" which gives the necessary information and the "end" which teaches a moral, makes us laugh or delivers the point. The end is usually tied in with the hook.
6. Don't worry about literary style. Write your story as if you were sitting at the kitchen table swapping tales. Be yourself.
7. Include lots of details. Remember what was going on in society, the family, and the neighborhood as well as physically and emotionally with the people involved in the story.
8. Remember the five senses. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and feel. Help the reader relive the memory with you.
9. Edit out 10%. You will be amazed at how much better it is when you take out the extra words and phrases. Now edit out another 10%.
10. Let others read it for content, grammar and flow. Listen to their suggestions. If one or two people tell you the same thing it is an opinion, however if 3 or more tell you it is an observation that you should definitely consider.
11. Don't allow others or yourself to criticize too much. You are your own worst critic. It doesn't have to be perfect or to please everyone. It just has to be done. Many generations will be grateful you took the time, energy and risk to record some small part of history.
12. Re-write or correct passages. Let it sit for a few days and then you may want to tighten it some more.
13. Include some memorabilia or photos to bring the manuscript to life. You may find copies of newspaper articles, letters, cartoons, maps etc. that will add interest and information.
14. Finish the thing! It will never be completely done but bring it to a logical conclusion and be able to let it go and start on another project.
You are a writer -never forget it- just keep writing!
If you are interested in getting the answers to these and other questions about life story writing, please contact us at judywright@artichokepress.com and sign up for a tele-class and our FREE e-zine: "The Artichoke" - finding the heart of the story in the journey of life..
?Judy H. Wright, Personal and Oral Historian - www.artichokepress.com
Since the headline is the first contact your readers have... Read More
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More
Griselda spent hours polishing up her resume. No detail was... Read More
Part 1 of this article discussed the experience you need... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
Most people can easily identify with the dreaded "writer's block".... Read More
Writing papers and book reports has long been the bane... Read More
To capitalize on ways to make extra income you can... Read More
What possibly could I have to write about? I never... Read More
When you write for international audiences, mainly directly in English,... Read More
When I first started tracking the information preferences of people... Read More
With the advent of email communications in the workplace, it's... Read More
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More
Many of us dream of writing a book. Why not.... Read More
One Saturday afternoon, I sat in a packed conference room... Read More
IntroductionSince our early days of elementary education we have been... Read More
Arrogance has a bad rap. We think of arrogant people... Read More
You can make a lot of money by writing and... Read More
Ah, writing. For those of us who love to play... Read More
Virgil, the great Roman poet, wrote "Practice and thought might... Read More
In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More
There is an image most people carry of the artist... Read More
Right off the bat, I want to say that there... Read More
As one of those fabulous Baby Boomers, you now own... Read More
You can learn a lot about what it takes to... Read More
What is Sense of Place? It's the image of a... Read More
You may not remember this, but in the early days... Read More
Dave, I just got a contract for a book... Read More
The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More
Beginner's Blues: How to Collect Samples, Testimonials, and References as... Read More
It turns out that "tips and templates on how to... Read More
Writing papers and book reports has long been the bane... Read More
Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to... Read More
Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having... Read More
ESSAYS ON AUTOBIOGRAPHY: NUMBER 1Preamble:Nearly seven years ago I wrote... Read More
How to get a lot of traffic to your website... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Our plotting stage is our testing area.Everything... Read More
There is an image most people carry of the artist... Read More
So, you want to freelance as an editor, writer, copy... Read More
How to Start Your Story with a BangThe purpose of... Read More
Way back in your early school years, you were probably... Read More
A well-punctuated approach letter may make the difference between acceptance... Read More
"You should write a book." For years, I had been... Read More
My dad was wrong. I just discovered that I am... Read More
In the 7th grade I wanted to be an architect... Read More
There is no doubt that a staff writer enjoys advantages... Read More
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a... Read More
If your articles aren't getting published very often, or you... Read More
Okay. So I'm not David Letterman. But I doubt if... Read More
Here are 3 journaling or diary ideas that can contribute... Read More
Writing |