Marion Roach Smith — by Erica Berger
Marion Roach Smith has been teaching people to share their life stories since 1998. As co-founder of the SisterProject, Smith knows the importance of stories and memory. Originally self-published, The Memoir Project has been updated and revised, and the new edition is available in paperback by Grand Central. It goes on sale this week and is full of advice and encouragement for those who want to set down their life experiences for family and friends. In the meantime, Smith has shared her “Top 10″ tips for writing a memoir with BookPage readers.
Top 10 Tips for writing your memoir
1. Stop practicing and write with intent. Put away the scrapbooks, “morning pages” and writing exercises. Whether your goal is a blog post, essay, or book, stop rehearsing and write.
2. Stake out your territory. Don’t write your life’s story. Write a story from your life that illustrates who you are.
3. Write what you know – and tell the truth.
4. Go small. A recent widow struggling with a zipper for the first time since her husband’s death elucidates grief. Go small and explode life’s large themes.
5. Pack light. Just because it happened doesn’t make it interesting. Use your experiences to illustrate a universal idea and you won’t stuff in too much.
6. Ask, “What is this about?” Answer this in a word or phrase.
7. Use this algorithm: Once you discover what your story’s about, insert the phrase into this foolproof formula: It’s about x, as illustrated by y, to be told in a z. It’s about what animals do for us, to be illustrated by my time with Mitsy, to be told in a blog post.
8. Act like Galileo in Walmart. To prove the earth revolves around the sun, he needs only one small part to perfect the telescope. He can’t let life’s overcrowded aisles distract him, but has to go in and get only what he needs. Then we’ll see the world as he does. That’s your assignment: Speed shop that overstocked subconscious of yours, snag only those items tagged by the subject you’ve chosen, and leave the rest behind.
9. Make your argument. All non-fiction is an argument. Yours may be, “life is better with a good cat to love.” Prove it. Don’t tell us. Show us.
10. Include transcendence. Something must shift. Let us witness that process and we’ll see one of life’s wonders. And when we do, we’ll send it to others to read.
{Thanks Marion! For more on her book—and more writing tips!—click here.}
