Admit it. We all like to hear a juicy bit of gossip. As long as it is not about us. Or our family. Or our best friend. The important thing to remember, however, is that most gossip is simply idle talk or rumor.
Writing memoir requires cautious editing and removal of anything which could damage others. Quidnuncs are invited to read my memoir. They may be disappointed.
Homelessness is uncharted territory for most of us. Sadly, it will come up in my memoir from a parent’s view. Pejorative words that inflict insult or destructive thinking about these people are better left unsaid. Mark your calendar and watch Dogtown Redemption on your local PBS station May 16th. Watch it with compassion – just because someone is homeless does not mean they are undesirable, damaged or inferior.
The writer within nags at me (yes I do have one of those).While I planned to only post A to Z challenges this month, I can’t stop from posting this one. I can’t wait to save it for my “S” word.
Yesterday turned out to be an exhausting day of travel as I returned home from the Story Circle Network conference in Austin. Note, I was already exhausted. In a good way. I’ve commented in several places that “this is the best gift I have ever given to myself.”
This conference is an amazing immersion into writing wisdom, new friendships, laughter & tears – more than anything I could have hoped for. Everywhere I went I heard the word “Takeaway.” I took away a bag full of goodies, a set of goals, a journal of new beginnings, an armload of books (if yours is not pictured here, it probably resides on my Kindle), a new confidence and regenerated enthusiasm. Many thanks to all the organizers, presenters, volunteers, and those who invited me into their worlds. Special thanks to Susan Albert Wittig for launching this compassionate community of women writers.
I joined Story Circle Network in the year 2000 but this was my first conference. I never understood what I was missing until now. God willing I’ll be at the next one in April 2018. Hope to see you there too.
The memoir manuscript grows to 100,000 words. How could I be so self-centered to expect an audience to appreciate such a lengthy narrative? The next step becomes a task of removing the redundant or insignificant passages – or those which may be doubtful memories. The obelus symbol used to mark these passages in ancient manuscripts is now commonly used as a division sign ÷ . Divide and conquer – final execution.
Maybe it’s too much caffeine late at night or an unfortunate event in the last hours of the day. Whatever leads you to insomnia, how do you use those hours? For a while I kept a dream journal but it interfered with my sleep. Okay, not funny. Seriously, does anyone keep a noctuary journal? Whether it’s dreams, thoughts, or midnight memories it could lead to interesting stories.
WittBits 