How to accomplish gorgeous combinations of Memoir and Fiction

MONTHLY BLOGPOST

Introduction: For me, memory is an upper shelf to keep safe the things you most treasure. They may be old rags, weather-beaten objects and yellowing paper, but the world does not know the secret: that old rag is the dress you wore to your first date, that object was a toy chewed on by your first-born, that yellowing paper is a letter your grandmother wrote to you in the era of writing and posting letters to each other. By definition, a ‘memoir’ is writing this ‘personal knowledge’ in a structured form. I love when Jessica Dukes says: “To define memoir, we loosen the constraints of an autobiography. Memoir authors choose a pivotal moment in their lives and try to recreate the event through storytelling. The author’s feelings and assumptions are central to the narrative. Memoirs still include all the facts of the event, but the author has more flexibility here because she is telling a story as she remembers it, not as others can prove or disprove it. (In fact, “memoir” comes from the French “mémoire” or “memory.”) ” A memoir is clearly a tiny part of a lived life brought under a microscope. It is a close look at an event in the writer’s life, often biased and sometimes factually incorrect or misinterpreted, but is memory nonetheless. Herein, storytelling intrudes. Part of memoir is as one remembers it at that point in time, detached from when the event actually took place. Now let us examine this subtlety with a few examples. Consider “100 punchlines to procrastinate kicking yr bucket” by Jane Shi. What do you think? Is it a memoir or fiction? I’d assume it is a cross between the two. Consider the flash memoir “Maternity as a Country” by Ocean Wei, which positions itself on the crossroads of memoir, epistolary essay and a story. Similarly, “Marbles, and Other Things of a Spherical Shape” by Martin Piñol, is a nice example of how several micro memoirs are beaded together in a story form.

How you can apply it to your work? A memoir shines because of your voice and the authenticity behind it. Staying true to that, frame your work within the parameters of traditional storytelling where there is an arc, identifiable characters and a build-up to climax. Employing these devices, and a sound base of an emotional core, it is possible to structure a piece which stands out as a cross between memoir and fiction. Consider moving the ending up, even as the introductory paragraph. How did one reach that point is a question the reader will ask themselves? That’s where you have them hooked. Establish a personal relationship with the reader (by stating universal truth? By pointing at a human fallacy perhaps?), and move from there. Employ humor (works to ease-in the reader before a tense subject). Plant the conflict in the mind of the reader. Structure the memoir-story such that the interest never withers, and ensure that you (the narrator) is the principal protagonist who must face the conflict.

What are at stake? Poet and essayist Mary Karr says: “The emotional stakes a memoirist bets with could not be higher, and it’s physically enervating. I nap on a daily basis like a cross-country trucker.” It is undeniably true, fortunately or unfortunately. While no one is there to challenge the writer about the truthfulness of the events, in my experience, it does filter out if things said in the piece are true/honest, or not. Staying away from too much embellishment in the course of the narration is useful. Similarly, using unique details is sure to attract attention, coupled with choosing start and end points of the narrative. Be sure of pulling out the most interesting fragment of that particular memory.

THIS IS YOUR PROMPT 1 [DIFFICULTY LEVEL: BEGINNERS] Write a piece where you had to wait for something. Add details regarding the circumstances of that waiting in a fictional setting.

THIS IS YOUR PROMPT 2 [DIFFICULTY LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE] Write about a relation you’ve never met in real life, as though you recently had an opportunity to do so, filling in the physical description and mannerisms using your imagination.

THIS IS YOUR PROMPT 3 [DIFFICULTY LEVEL: EXPERT] When was a time you felt disoriented or overwhelmed? Can you recall the circumstances? Write a list story as the recall happens one by one, as in stages of memory recovery.

SUBMISSIONS OPEN!!! Here I list magazines & submission windows. FREE TO SUBMIT. Amsterdam Quarterly (closes today) Lightspeed (closes Feb 1), Havok (closes Feb 2), Furious Fiction (Feb 2-4), IHLR (opens Feb 1, fee-free on March 1), Yellow Arrow Publishing (Feb 1-29), Fahmidan Publishing (open now), The Rumpus (opens Feb 1), Pyre Magazine, Leon Literary, Jet Fuel Review, Baltimore Review and Chestnut Review.

POSITIONS OPEN! The Adroit Journal seeks to fill several staff positions. So does CRAFT, Yellow Arrow Publishing , Fractured Literary and West Trade Review.

*WHERE WE SET OUR EASEL

START A DISCUSSION: Do you think workshops and retreats help? If so, to what extent? Or do you think workshops and retreats are extremely overpriced? Some are undoubtedly. I tweeted about it. Most of us can’t even dare take a look. Fortunately, I have led many workshops, all of them affordable. Except one (which I organized myself and led for the benefit of BIPOC emerging writers with as many as six free spots), the others were for Crow Collective, Flash Cabin and Retreat West. Before I announce this year’s workshops (in February’s newsletter), would like your opinion about topics you’d like to be guided on, and what is an ideal per hour fee for writing workshops?

MANUSCRIPT CONSULTATIONS: Six spots available for February and March. Click here for more.

PRO-TIP: If you are planning to put together a collection in 2024, consider this as your cue to start writing to a single theme. Or, maybe a unified group of characters? Or possibly all flashes set in the same place (real or imaginary)?

February’s blogpost will be “One-Liners: Where you just can’t go wrong”. Look out for it! Share this post and tell your friends!

All rights reserved. No content appearing on the site may be copied in any form, without the express permission of the author. For enquiries and work proposals contact me. IF YOU LIKE WHAT I DO, SUPPORT MY WORK PAYPAL.ME

ABOUT THIS BLOG