MEMORY WRITING

The basis of a memoir

Step #1

Look around the room until you see something that reminds you of something that happened in the past. Jot down that memory. If you don’t see anything in the room that reminds you of your past, think of your most vivid memory from your childhood and write that down.

Now think what that memory reminds you of, and jot that down. Once you get started, keep writing your memories.

Write the memories ACROSS THE PAGE in whatever way captures them quickly.

3 MINUTES

Memory Debrief

How many different memories did you have? Count them!

Did anything emerge that you had forgotten about? Or that you hadn’t thought about in a long time?

Sharing is caring …

Step #2

Highlight or underline three or four memories you think are interesting and that you might like to do something with (write about further)

We are now moving toward writing that will become public, so take that into consideration as you choose.

Step #3

Choose one memory from the three or four you highlighted. Think about the memory you have chosen and for the next few minutes, write down all the details you can recall that are connected to it. These are still notes to yourself. Include SENSORY DETAILS visuals, sounds, smells, tastes, textures, thoughts, feelings, dialogue, EVERYTHING. Don’t worry if something doesn’t seem important, include it anyway.

Some advice …

Sense of Sight

Below the tree’s green-yellow leaves, shafts of light slant toward the ground. Dust particles, like muted diamonds, swim, circling upward. These glowing bits of dust spin dizzily up the streams of light until they climb, swirling into the tree’s canopy of green, yellow, and heavy shade.

Sense of Hearing

He slammed the door shut and kicked the trash can across the room. It banged into the desk and clattered along the wall. In a few dying spins it groaned and sighed, and in a few seconds rattled to a stop. He eased his body into a chair and felt the leather wheeze against his body. Then he closed his eyes and waited for the click of the door handle.

Sense of Touch

I cradled the handle of the rake in my palms and jabbed at the weeds again and again. Soon blisters formed. With each jab the blisters swelled and screamed.  Each pull of the hoe rubbed them raw. Fluid popped out and the red layer of skin, exposed to the air, burned even more. I picked at the skin and ripped the dead layers away. Every time the raw skin made contact, circles of pain raced through every nerve, searching for relief.

Sense of Taste

As their lips kissed, her peppermint lip gloss startled him. Its tart sweetness tickled his taste buds. Involuntarily, he bit his tongue; the salty taste of his own blood shocked him. Almost pushing her away, recoiling, the sweetness of peppermint, and the saltiness of blood swirled together, nauseating him.

Sense of Smell

Sliding into my car, last night’s sweaty workout assaulted my nose. The musk had mingled with my sheepskin seat covers, bringing the kicking, bleating animal alive to my nostrils. Because the rain pounded against my car’s windows, I drove fourteen miles with the heavy dampness of sheep’s wool smothering me.

Honest vs. Phony Writing

When you write, write honestly. Try to speak the truth. With the two following examples, try to

identify the difference between honesty and phony writing.

Example 1

But the area which caused Henry and I to become steadfast friends was outdoor sports.

(This really sounds too analytical to come from the heart).

Example 2

Her long hair was streaked with gray, tangled and matted, and her eyes had sunk deep into their sockets, but still she reminded me of the mom she’d been when I was a kid, swan-diving off cliffs and painting in the desert and reading Shakespeare aloud. To the people walking by though, she probably looked like any of the thousands of homeless people in New York City. It had been months since I laid eyes on her, and when she looked up, I was overcome with panic that she’d see me and call out my name, and that someone on the way to the same party I was attending would spot us together and my secret would be out.

Look familiar?

Writing that “shows” instead of tells includes the following…write this down! Descriptive detail Sensory detail Facts/Statistics Anecdotes Direct quotations, song excerpts Dialogue Present, not past tense Interior Monologue: The expression of a

character's thoughts, feelings, and impressions in a narrative.

Step #4

Think: What would you have to do with your memory notes if you were going to revise your memory writing and make it clear and interesting to somebody else? What would you want them to understand about the importance of your memory? What would you add? Eliminate? Rearrange?

Step #5

Rewrite your memory notes into a clear and interesting memoir that you would be willing (and proud) to share with others in this class. Use one of the vignettes from The Glass Castle as a model or the sample that I will show you.

Make sure your opening sentence is interesting and hooks your reader. This is Jeanette’s opening sentence for the first part of her memoir: I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster.

Give your memoir an original title after you have written it. 500 words minimum! We will be working on this in class, it should not

be something that becomes homework, unless you are not productively writing during class time. If your writing is messy, however, it might be a good idea to type up your memoir. This might save you time, as well, since you it will be mandatory to type up your Final Draft.

Rough Draft due Tuesday 1/9.

Paragraphs in Memoir Writing Your writing should have paragraphs. Think of your

paragraphs in this type of writing as the natural separation of your thoughts.

Paragraphs do not need to be any certain length, but for your writing to be effective, you should have multiple paragraphs throughout your narrative.

Look at the sample, or look at vignettes from The Glass Castle to get a feel for paragraphs and implementation of dialogue in a memoir. Glass Castle: Pg. 3 for separation of paragraphs Glass Castle: Pg. 5 for how to insert dialogue

Original First Lines My younger sister, Jessica, arrived home one day reeling about the shirt that her friend

had worn to school. It had simply read, “Genocide, Homicide, Suicide, Riverside.” I'll never forget the day when my childhood nightmares about fighting gigantic trolls in

the Lord of the Rings series became a reality. Sword in hand and clad in medieval samurai armor, I dragged myself into the battleground as I faced my opponent, a warmongering giant.

Some fathers might disapprove of their children handling noxious chemicals in the garage.

I was paralyzed from the waist down. I would try to move my leg or even shift an ankle but I never got a response. This was the first time thoughts of death ever crossed my mind.

I have been surfing Lake Michigan since I was 3 years old. On a hot Hollywood evening, I sat on a bike, sweltering in a winter coat and furry

boots. I change my name each time I place an order at Starbucks. I almost didn't live through September 11th, 2001. When I was 8 years old, I shocked my family and a local archaeologist by discovering

artifacts dating back almost 3,500 years.

Memoir Final Draft

1) Final draft of memoir Make sure there is a creative title. MLA format, (you can single space) Make sure your memoir meets the 500 word count requirement (can be more) Bring printed copy to class on Friday 1/11 Use your Glass Castle books as inspiration and as a helpful guide to shape your own. Access anything you need under 10CP Links to help polish this final draft. (example and template on my website)