Writers are often told that “voice” is what makes their writing unique and interesting, what separates them from the crowd. To hear that your writing has a “voice” is one of the best compliments you can get. This is true for all genres, but couldn’t be truer than in memoir writing. But what does “voice” actually mean? And how do you find it?

The writer’s voice is about how you show up on the page. It’s how you express your own way of being in the world. The writer’s voice is about speaking your truth; you being you. Sounds simple; but it’s not necessarily easy. Some writers naturally write with a strong voice, while others struggle to bring their voice to the page.

We often hear, “show don’t tell” but I think writing that has “voice” does both. To “show” means to bring the reader into your world in a way that engages the sense of smell, touch, taste and so on. The reader can feel your pain, joy and emotions; they can relate and sympathize with your experience.

To “tell” is often described as too much narration, describing or explaining, and lacking connection. But, telling can be done with a great degree of creativity and color by writing from an objective point of view, while at the same time staying connected to the character (that would be you in a memoir).

For the rest of the article, please visit New Spirit Journal.

Much love,

Ruthie

 

Find Your Truth

A memoir is a true story about a slice of your life that usually includes an inner transformation from one state of being to another. To write such an account requires deep reflection on the truth, as you understand it, and the courage to share that truth with others.

As children, we are all introduced to a set of beliefs that are often portrayed as “truths.”

They are imprinted first by our families of origin, then by our communities, churches, schools, and friends. They stream like a continuous movie looping repeatedly, 24 hours a day, year after year, impressing us with the values, beliefs and actions expected by the members of our original tribe. Many of these “big picture” truths are reinforced by the culture into which we are born: men are smarter than women, being gay is a sin, interracial marriage is wrong.

My dear friend and co-columnist for Musings of Memoir, has written a powerful and inspiring article. For the full piece, please visit the New Spirit Journal website: http://www.newspiritjournalonline.com/finding-power-in-truth/

 

In the previous column with New Spirit Journal, I shared about finding your story, creating an environment to support your writing life, and the importance of getting organized. Once you land on a good story and get to writing it, there are things that can interfere with your progress (work, kids, doubt, emotions, for example). But, despite the obstacles, there are several ways to keep your momentum going and stay in the flow. Here are a few:

Make a Scene

The idea of writing a whole book can feel overwhelming. But tackling the project a little bit at a time – such as writing stand-alone scenes – keeps you in the groove, the flow. Scenes can be written in short spurts of time, like after putting the kids to bed or before going to work. And stand-alone scenes are a great place to practice things like dialogue, character development and creating a story arc; skills that will help you write that full manuscript.

For guidance on writing a scene and more tips on staying in the flow, go to the New Spirit Journal website for my full article — Musings of Memoir: How to Stay in the Flow.

Thanks for reading.

Wishing you a day of focus, discipline and satisfaction by staying in the flow…..

~Ruthie

Please celebrate with me! My new column, Musings of Memoir, has just launched with New Spirit Journal. Below is the lead, followed with a link for the entire article. I hope you find something helpful, hopeful or handy!

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People write memoirs for all sorts of reasons and at all stages of life. Some people know exactly what story they’ll tell, while others aren’t sure where to begin or feel they have nothing worth writing about.

A friend once told me that she could never be a writer because her life had been so uneventful; yet, in the same conversation, and with tear-filled eyes, talked of a child she was sponsoring in Mexico. My eyes welled up. I wanted to know more about the little girl living in poverty in this far-away place. My friend was sharing about a meaningful experience but hadn’t considered it as part of “her” story. When I suggested she write about the girl, she said she wouldn’t know the first thing about how to start.

Regardless of where you discover a story, one of the biggest challenges for telling it is figuring out how to begin.

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For tips, ideas and inspiration on how to get started writing your story, see the full article on the New Spirit Journal website.