I stumbled across this video of Mary Karr and wanted to share, especially for all my fellow creative nonfiction writers. This is an excerpt from her keynote at the 2010 Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference. (p.s. I promise to share authors other than Mary Karr. Or this that a trick? Happy Halloween.)
In the comments of my recent post Writing Reading Retreat: Memoir, a reader asked about the difference between memoir and autobiography, noting that the lines often seem blurred. Thanks, Leah, for inspiring this post.
One of my favorite creative nonfiction writing instructors defined it this way: “A memoir is a slice of life.” A memoir can be about a specific time, event or theme, which is why one person can write multiple memoirs. It’s also why memoirists don’t have to be famous.
An example of one author with multiple memoirs is Mary Karr, who wrote The Liar’s Club (her childhood), Cherry (coming of age) and Lit (her battle with alcoholism). Although there is some overlap, the three books cover very distinct themes and events. Another example is Janice Erlbaum, who wrote the memoir Girlbomb about her time as a “halfway homeless” teen and then followed that up with Have You Found Her, a gripping story about a teen Erlbaum meets when she volunteers at the shelter she wrote about in her first memoir.
Although the recent glut of memoirs “written” by celebs doesn’t help with differentiating the two genres (or sub-genres), autobiographies are usually reserved for celebrities and high-profile politicians. An autobiography usually covers the person’s life, from birth to death or some stopping point between the two. In her craft book Fearless Confessions: A Writer’s Guide to Memoir, Sue William Silverman devotes an appendix to the sub-genres of creative nonfiction, which she dubs “The Meandering River.”
Silverman defines autobiography as celebrity-oriented and “based on the subject’s ‘life of action,’ and thus told more historically then impressionistically.” She also adds, “the contract with the reader in the case of autobiography is that the historical facts, at least, are true” and that there’s little room for reflection. (more…)
This time several years ago, I found myself in an odd quandary. I was being paid to write, which had seemed like a “dream” at one point in my life. But my soul wasn’t on fire and I didn’t feel creatively fulfilled. Something was missing, but I couldn’t identify it.
That same year, for my birthday, my honey gave me a beautiful leather-bound journal, complete with extra refill pages. And then we went to see Tick, Tick…BOOM! Are you familiar with this musical?
It’s a rather autobiographical piece that Jonathan Larson (the amazing mind behind RENT) wrote and performed as a one-man show in 1990. After his death, his producing partner Victoria Leacock worked with playwright David Auburn (who won a Pulitzer prize for the play Proof) to develop the one-man show into the full, multi-character musical Tick, Tick…BOOM! The story follows a young composer (“Jon”) who can’t get his musical produced and he considers giving up his dream for a corporate job. On his birthday, his girlfriend gives him a huge stack of blank sheet music and encourages him to follow his passion.
That scene, combined with the knowledge that Jonathan unexpectedly died the night before RENT made its Broadway debut, reduced me to a puddle of tears.
Since then, I have explored various creative writing outlets and, for now, creative nonfiction has an inspirational hold on me. It seems like an obvious choice, now, but it took some hefty searching to get here.
Having time to pursue my own creative writing projects is one of the reasons I became a freelancer. I’m very lucky to have a supportive honey as well as friends and family who encourage me.
What keeps you creatively fulfilled, especially if you write for others? Are you searching for what fills your (creative) soul? Has it changed and evolved over the years? Please share your experience in the comments below.
Frankly, the best way I’ve found time to write is by taking online writing classes. I love them. The deadlines as well as feedback from my instructors and classmates are amazing motivators. Last fall, I was taking a creative nonfiction writing class, working full-time and co-planning a 1,400-mile move. And I was writing prolifically.
How did I do it?
It was exhausting—and exhilarating. I really pushed myself and could feel my craft muscles stretching. The thrill of being so fueled to write balanced out the loneliness and stress.
And then I moved and needed to grow my business. Finding work during the holiday season—as the news of the economy grew worse each day—was the sole occupant of my thoughts. It’s been like that most of the year, with only an essay draft here or there. Most of my non-client writing time has gone to my blog.
At least I’m still writing. That’s what I tell myself when I’ve got a blog post finished but my other projects languish, untouched. It’s not enough.
I am starting to carve out time for my writing. While I would love to take another class, I can’t really justify it. I haven’t given any attention to the work I produced in my last class—and it’s time for me to build that discipline on my own.
How will I do it?
One thing I won’t do is publicize that writing time. I’ve determined how many hours I want to carve out each week and how I want that time to look. But I’m keeping it somewhat private as a way to protect it. I want to avoid any discussion that starts with, “Well, that’s your writing time. You can move it.”
Your turn!
How do you make time to write? What keeps you motivated? Do you share your writing schedule or goals with clients/ employers? Do you have a favorite tip for making your writing a priority? Please share! The floor is yours.
If it’s fall, it must be memoir season—at least for me. There’s something about the crisp air and bright leaves of October and November that always inspires me to write. I just seem to be a little better about carving out time for more personal work, like essays and creative nonfiction.
And it also means I’m hungry for memoirs. I’m always on the lookout for a great, true tale—even more so in the fall.
Here’s what I’ve got on my list, at least so far. (Book links go to the authors’ websites or publishers’ websites.)
Counting the Days
The book I can’t wait to read is Mary Karr’s new memoir Lit, which follows her descent into alcoholism and madness. The publisher’s description of the book says that Lit is “also about getting drunk and getting sober; becoming a mother by letting go of a mother; and learning to write by learning to live.” I am especially interested in reading more about Karr’s relationship with her mother and how it evolved. To be released November 3. (My birthday. I know what I’m doing that day!)
Okay, your turn. What are you reading as the leaves fall?
When my grandfather predicted I would be a “professional student,” I think we both imagined me earning degree after degree and never really leaving academia. That image suited my quest for knowledge and my relentless curiosity well.
Yet, in the year meant to be between degrees, I moved to Seattle and fell in love with what life was teaching me. Since I had grown up in a very small town in Texas and had gone to a small college in Colorado, I had no real idea of the world outside of my books.
That year became more than 10 and I still haven’t earned anything beyond my Bachelor of Arts in Drama. But those 10 years taught me so much, including:
And most importantly, I learned that I want to pursue my writing above all else.
Since that realization, I’ve invested my free time and spare change in improving my ability to write. My efforts have included:
This month I’m attending the Copywriting Success Summit 2009: A Live Online Event. My goal is to grow my copywriting business and fill the pipeline with more ongoing work. Ultimately, I’d like to spend a little less time marketing and more time writing.
One thing is certain: my grandfather was right about me being a professional student. I will always love learning.
What about you? How do you keep your writing sharp? Have you read a book, article or blog or taken a class that you’d recommend to others? Please share!
