I'm back - almost, anyway. Monday, April 15, is "relaunch the blog day" for Write Here, Write Now! And you're invited. I hope you'll give it a test drive for a couple of weeks. I'll post on my Facebook Page and Twitter to let readers know the day's topic and, when relevant, who my guest is. If you want to be sure you don't miss anything, why not follow my blogs by email (see form at right)?So here's the plan.
On Mondays the focus is FICTION. I'll write about topics of interest to readers and writers, and have guests from time to time -- authors mostly.
Wednesdays will focus on NONFICTION mostly, with occasional posts about poetry, drama, and...who knows?
Fridays are about "the writing life," broadly defined. The reading life, too, since readers will find many of the posts interesting, I think - after all, if you love to read, you, too, are affected by the "business of writing," and how your favorite authors (including some you haven't read yet) approach their work and creative lives.
I have a terrific group of guests lined up. No need to dress up or RSVP - just show up. Bring your friends. See you Monday!
And in other news.....
Do you enjoy memoirs? Scroll down for a list of 10 memoirs I like, and also two essential books on writing, if you write.
I will be teaching Write Your Memoir at the Cameron Art Museum's Museum School in Wilmington, NC, from April 24 through May 29, 2-4 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Memoirs take many forms and serve a variety of purposes, but memoir writers share at least one common purpose: to record something about their lives in a form that other people can read. Whether you want to leave a rather private record of your life for your friends and family, or a literary work that may reach thousands of readers, this class will help you:•organize your memories and reflections into a logical form; produce new writing;
•revise and polish what you have written.
We will spend some class time each week on writing exercises designed to help you generate ideas and new material. We will also look at short excerpts from at least one published memoir each week, and I will suggest memoirs and craft books that you may find inspiring or helpful. We will set aside some time to share your writing if you want to, but no one will ever be required to share.
Materials: writing tools (paper, pen/pencil, computer – your choice!).
Register at http://
Suggested Reading....
If you are writing a memoir, I hope you read lots of good ones, plus a few good books on the craft of writing. And even if you have no plans to put your own memories down, there are some great memoirs out there - inspiring, thought-provoking....
Memoirs: Whether you're writing your memoir or not, you may like some of these terrific memoirs, some new, some older.... There are many more excellent memoirs out there - these just happen to be ten I like.
Dog Years by Mark Doty
Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams
Half the House by Richard Hoffman
The Chronology of Water by Linda Yuknavitch
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
West with the Night by Beryl Markham
Licking the Spoon by Candace Walsh
Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo
Time on the Ocean by Theo Dorgan
Craft of Writing: There are MANY excellent books on the craft of writing, and on writing memoir in particular. I'll come back to that later, but for now, here are a couple of books that I consider essential reading.
Good Prose by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd
The Situation and the Story by Vivian Gornick
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