Personal Essay is Memoir in Short Form

  • Personal Essay is Memoir in Short Form

    If you have written your memoir, or are in the process, and it’s not shaping into what you envisioned, you could transform it into a personal essay.

    It might be easier, at some point, to concentrate on writing a personal essay, rather than a book-length manuscript.

    There are many posts on The Write Spot Blog about how to write personal essays. (Please scroll down for the how-to posts).

    You may be writing vignettes to satisfy your desire to write family stories. You can publish these with the help of many do-it-yourself publishing companies.

    If you want your personal essays to be published for public consumption, there are many opportunities for submission: Big Brick Review, Chicken Soup for The Soul, The Christian Science Monitor,  Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction and so many more places. Check the back pages of Writer’s Digest magazine.

    You can submit your writing to be included in anthologies. Conduct an internet search to find anthologies that are currently accepting submissions. An online search for “submit to anthologies” yielded thousands of results. You can also find anthologies that are looking for submissions in the back pages of Writer’s Digest magazine.

    And of course, you can check in at The Write Spot Blog anytime to find publications that accept personal essays, just click on “Places to Submit.”

    How to subscribe.250You can subscribe to The Write Spot Blog and not miss a single post. When you subscribe, posts will be delivered to your email inbox. Just fill out the information on the home page of The Write Spot Blog — Right side, scroll down.

    Marlene C

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  • Colorado Review

    Colorado ReviewTHE COLORADO REVIEW accepts short fiction, personal essay, poetry, and book reviews.

    FICTION & NONFICTION
    Colorado Review considers short fiction and personal essays with contemporary themes (no genre fiction or literary criticism).

    POETRY
    Poetry of any style is accepted. Please limit poetry submissions to no more than five poems at a time.

    PRIZE FOR POETRY

    NELLIGAN PRIZE

    BOOK REVIEWS

    If you would like to submit a book review, please send query to respective editors.

    SUBMISSION DATES AND FORMAT (Scroll down)

    Nonfiction manuscripts are read year-round.

     Fiction & poetry manuscripts are read from August 1 to April 30.

    Simultaneous submissions are accepted; writers must notify CR immediately if the work is accepted elsewhere.

    CR considers only previously unpublished work.

    Colorado Review purchases First North American Serial Rights; all rights revert to the author upon publication in CR. We pay $10 per page ($30 minimum) for poetry and $200 for short stories and essays. Authors also receive two copies of the issue in which they are published and a one-year subscription to CR.

    Colorado Review strongly encourages writers to be familiar with their magazine before submitting.

    Examples of work published in Colorado Review are posted on their website (scroll down).

     

    Marlene C

  • How to turn memoir into fiction

    Writing and magnifying glassWhat if you have written your memoir, or are in the process, and it just isn’t working? What to do?

    You might decide to publish your work as fiction based on fact, rather than memoir. Adair Lara’s article might be helpful: “10 Ways to Tell if Your Story Should be a Memoir or a Novel” in the January 23, 2012 issue of Writer’s Digest magazine.

    You can use prompts on The Write Spot Blog for inspiration, especially, “Make a list of pivotal events, Prompt #40” and “How to write fiction based on fact,” Prompt #41.”

    If you don’t want to write about what happened exactly as it happened, you can use the emotions you felt during the event. Tap into those emotions to write strong scenes.

    Sometimes it’s helpful to see examples of ideas you want to pursue. The following novels are based on fact.

    Half-Broke Horses, by Jeannette Walls, is considered “A True-Life Novel”

    Captive of Silence, by Alla Crone, is a “roman à clef.”

    Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank

    Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer

    Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden

    Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert

    I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou

    We’ll explore the topic of where to publish personal essays in next week’s “Just Write.”

    Meanwhile, keep writing. Decide later what you want to do with this precious writing.

    Marlene C

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  • AGNI accepts fiction, nonfiction, poetry, interviews.

    AGNI

    AGNI Magazine accepts fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and interviews for their print and online literary magazines.

    “We see literature and the arts as part of a broad, ongoing cultural conversation that every society needs to remain vibrant and alive. Our writers and artists hold a mirror up to nature, mankind, the world; they courageously reflect their age, for better or worse; and their work provokes perceptions and thoughts that help us understand and respond to our age. Literature for literature’s sake is not what AGNI is about.”

    Submission period: Between September 1st and May 31st.

    Payment: $10 per printed (or printed-out) page for all accepted prose, $20 per page for poetry, $150 maximum, along with a year’s subscription, and, for the print magazine, two contributor’s copies and four gift copies of the issue.

    Be sure to read all details regarding submissions. It would be a shame to miss out on being published due to a technical error.

    Good Luck!

    Marlene C

  • How to Write A Memoir— Part Two

    How To Write A Memoir, Part 1 lists a variety of methods for writing personal stories.

    Part 2 continues with revision and the business of writing.

    Take care of yourself

    Writing one’s life story can be difficult. While writing, take good care of yourself. Anytime you are feeling overwhelmed by this writing process, set your work aside. Take a break, get some fresh air, visit with a friend. Read helpful, supportive material such as Toxic Mom’s Toolkit.

    Organize

    When editing, save your “cuts” in separate files (either paper file folders or on computer files). You might be able to use these darlings in another personal essay.

    Use manila file folders to store print material: newspaper articles, photos, handwritten notes, letters, brochures, etc.

    Revising

    In the revising stage, delete what might cause embarrassment. Fine tune for accuracy.

    HydrangeaShape like a gardener pruning a hydrangea. Take a few snips here, cut a little there. Stand back, look over your work.

    Revise until you are satisfied. Or, you may reach a “good enough” stage and let it go. Most writers are never completely satisfied with their writing.

    While in the editing stage, read your manuscript as if you are an impartial observer. Look at how the cast of characters are portrayed. Check if their privacy has been respected. Read with empathy toward the characters who inhabit this story. Frances Lefkowitz believes “. . . empathy is so crucial to a good memoir—and to good relationships, and to family Thanksgivings in which everyone comes out alive.” —Frances Lefkowitz, “Are Your Parents Still Speaking to You?” December 20, 2013, The Write Spot Blog.

    Permission from cast of characters?

    Should you let your cast of characters read your manuscript?

    There is no correct answer. Some people say yes. Others say no. My suggestion is if you think something will be offensive, consider if these particular details need to be in the story. If not, omit them. If the details are crucial, leave them in, knowing it might offend someone who may cut off contact with you. If you want to continue contact with that person, ask him/her to read. If he/she is uncomfortable with some passages, you may be able to tweak to everyone’s satisfaction.

    This is your story and you have a right to write it, but do you have a right to publish it? Be mindful of defamation (libel for written material). Carefully consider the risks of writing your personal story for publication.

    “Writers face three big risks when using real people in their writing: defamation, invasion of privacy, and misappropriation of the right of publicity. Yet every fiction writer bases characters on real people. Memoirists and nonfiction writers identify people by name. How can writers use real people in their work without risking a lawsuit?”   —Helen Sedwick, “How to Use Real People in Your Writing Without Ending Up to Court,” September 13, 2014

    Beta Readers

    Part of your editing process might be to have others read your manuscript. These early readers (also called beta readers) might find scenes that don’t make sense or need clarification. Only ask people you trust and who will give you honest appraisals. Choose these readers very carefully. Give them specific things to look for (continuity, repetition, unclear areas, sections that could be condensed or expanded, etc).

    Why Write This Story?

    After you have written all that you want to write, while your manuscript is “resting,” take time for contemplation. Why are you writing this story? And why do you want to publish it (if you do)? If you are writing to share what you have learned on your journey and think it will be helpful to others, wonderful. If you are angry and want revenge, consider the consequences.

    Upon reflection, you may realize that some healing happened during the process of writing and you released the pain. Maybe you will find there is no longer a desire for revenge.

    “Honesty. Compassion. Forgiveness. Hold these words in your mind as you write about your family.” —Kerry Cohen, “How to Write About Family in a Memoir” by Kerry Cohen, author of The Truth in Memoir, [excerpted from “The Writer’s Dig,” column by Brian Klems , Writer’s Digest, January 22, 2015]

    Boys jumping into water. SorensenAfter typing “The End”

    Celebrate! You achieved your goal.

    But, what if your memoir isn’t quite working?

    You may decide to publish your work as fiction rather than memoir. The option of revising your memoir into fiction is explored in How To Turn Memoir Into Fiction.

     Celebration  Photo by Kent Sorensen
    Hydrangea photo by Marlene Cullen

    Marlene C

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  • How To Write A Memoir — Part One

    Your Life. You lived it. Surely you can write about it. Right?

    In How To Write A Memoir, Part 1, we’ll discuss methods and ideas about writing personal stories, with links to published memoirs.

    How To Write A Memoir, Part 2, we’ll cover organizing, revising and more.

    You can write in chronological order, or build your story around pivotal events. In the beginning, it doesn’t matter what structure you use. Write in a style that is comfortable for you. Try one way and if isn’t working for you, try something else.

    Memoirs written in chronological order (with back story woven in): To Have Not by Frances Lefkowitz  and Grief Denied by Pauline Laurent.

    Rachael Herron, A Life in Stitches, assembles her stories around her knitting experiences.

    For the first draft, it’s fine to jump around in time. Don’t worry too much about making sense in the early stage of writing. Get your stories written. Organize later.

    Paper or Computer?
    You can write using paper and pen/pencil or on a computer. Or both. For the most part, it doesn’t matter which method you use. The advantage of a computer is it’s (usually) faster. The advantage of paper and pen or pencil is the portability. Some people suggest there are benefits to handwriting for accessing creativity.

    Self-care

    If remembering and writing details about your life is difficult, it’s very important to have a strategy to avoid additional trauma. Create a self-care plan to protect yourself when writing about deeply painful topics.

    Writing Prompts

    You can use writing prompts to jumpstart your freewrites, to trigger memories and to make discoveries. Choose a prompt, write for 15 or 20 minutes. Take a break. Next time, choose another prompt. Good prompts to get started are:

    I remember . . .

    I don’t remember . . .

    In this photo, I . . .

    In this photo, you . . .

    family photosPhotos

    You can use photos to inspire your writing. First, look at the photo. Write all the details that you can see. Write about what happened before and after the photo was taken. Write about feelings you have connected with this photo.

    Photos might remind you about activities, important occasions and details that you may have forgotten. Did Grandpa always wear that hat? Did Grandma wear her apron with the little flower print every day, even on holidays? My Nana did.

    Other Memoirs

    Read memoirs to get an idea of how you want to proceed with your memoir. Some styles will appeal to you. Others aren’t right for you. You can read reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads to research different styles of memoirs.

    Susan Bono, What Have We Here, grouped her personal essays by theme.

    Rayne Wolfe, Toxic Mom Toolkit, braids three strands: her memoir, excerpts from others and toolkits.

    Janice Crow, I Give You My Word, created poems and watercolors to enhance exploring her journey.

    Story Telling

    When writing, think of yourself as a storyteller. In this story, you are the main character. Your family and friends are the supporting cast members. When you write, don’t think of any of these cast members. Write events (scenes) as you remember them, without worries (for now) about accuracy. With the first draft, put on your story-telling hat and write what happened.

    Research

    Interview family members, friends and acquaintances to learn details you may not know. You might realize a broader perspective from hearing other points of view.

    Research news, locally and world-wide, during the time period your story takes place. Tie in events with your story, if appropriate. Fact check details: slang, clothing styles, popular dances, technical gadgetry, geographical, etc.

    Take a few minutes

    After you have written all that you want to say, spend some time reflecting. What compelled you to write these stories?

    Perhaps your writing is a learning tool to understand what happened and to educate others as Piri Thomas does in Down These Mean Streets.

    Maybe your desire is to get these stories off your chest, to vent, to release emotions as well as help others similar to Ellevie by Marcelle Evie Guy.

    Maybe you want to record family stories, to document your family history.

    How To Write A Memoir – Part 2, we explore what to do after you have written your memoir, revision and the business of writing.

    woman writingFinal Comments
    This likely will be an emotional project. Take whatever time you need for breaks. Remember to exercise, go on walks, drink water and find joy, wherever you can.

    Just Write

    There are over 200 prompts on The Write Spot Blog. Use them for your memoir, for personal exploration and for fun!

     

     

    Marlene C

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  • Writer’s Digest Magazine Short-Short Story Contest

    typewriterHave you been noodling around with a short short story idea? Maybe you have written a short short and would like to see it published.

    Your opportunity is here and now.

    Writer’s Digest 16th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition is waiting for your entry.

    Deadline: December 14, 2015

    Word Count: 1,500 words or less

    You can do this! Strike while the iron is hot —but don’t use clichés in your writing, unless of course, your character talks in clichés. Hmmmm. . . there’s a story idea!

    Marlene C

  • The 2River View

    2River View

    The 2River View is an online publication of poetry, published four times a year. 2RV also has a video project.

    Reading Period for seasonal issues:

    Sept. 1 – Nov. 30                      Winter Issue

    December 1 – February 28     Spring Issue

    March 1 – May 31                     Summer Issue

    June 1 – August 31                   Fall issue

    2River considers unpublished poems only; poems that have not appeared in any form of print or digital media, including personal or public blogs.

    Simultaneous submissions can cause problems. If you are uncomfortable with a wait of up to three months, rather than sending simultaneous submissions, consider submitting toward the end of the reading period.

    Before submitting, please read several issues of The 2River View. The poems there best indicate the 2River standard. Each issue of 2RV consists of 10 poets only, and usually there are more than three-hundred submissions for each issue. [Note from Marlene: You could be one of those 10 poets!)

    2River is unable to pay authors for poems accepted.

    Good Luck!

    Marlene C

  • Take note.

    It’s early Monday morning. The day is just getting started and it’s very quiet. The softly falling rain has hushed all ambient noises. No cars drive up our country lane. People are still sleeping on this soft-feeling day, not quite ready to begin the busyness of our lives. Even the birds are quiet this morning.

    And I’m wondering, do you want to write? Do you contemplate ideas to write about as you stay in bed just a little longer in the morning? Do you have brilliant, awesome thoughts for writing while you are driving? As you wait for sleep to settle in, do these brilliant ideas swirl in your head? And they are brilliant, I am sure.

    You tell yourself you will remember everything until you have time to write. Finally, you sit down to write and those creative ideas seem to have vanished. You stretch to grasp your dazzling insights, but now they are elusive.

    If only you had made a note to jog your memory.

    What to do?

    Lightbulb.Great Idea Keep a notebook and pen handy.

    Jordan Rosenfeld suggests keeping a notebook and pen in every room. Rayne Wolfe suggests keeping a notebook in your back pocket. Why not? Oh, you don’t wear jeans with back pockets? How about a shirt pocket? Or a pocketbook (isn’t that a funny word for purse?). Keep a notebook or recording device your car. Use only when it’s safe, of course.

    You can also use technology to track of your ideas: Tablets, a Notebook (the computer kind), recording devices, Evernote, your smartphone, digital slates. Probably before I can tap the “publish” button for this post, there will be more gadgets available.

    So next time, you sit down to write, dig out your note-leaving device and pick up where you left off. That is, if you can read your writing. Sorry, I can’t help you with that. I can barely decipher my scribblings.  Just write!

    Marlene C

  • Main Street Rag Publications

    Main Street Rag Publications:  Literary Magazines, Anthologies, Book Publishing, Contests.

    Main Street Rag Literary Magazine

    Fiction/Creative non-fiction:    Please EMAIL THE IDEA FIRST. Main Street Rag will tell you whether the subject appeals to them and if there is space for it. Prefer social or political themes over How to, process pieces or literary pieces about the life of a literarian.

    Images: Need high resolution to print, but require low resolution to submit.” If you don’t know the difference, you’re not ready to have your work published.” We like it all—no subject taboo—but if you are targeting cover art, we like people doing what they do, street scenes, a world in motion. Send us a picture we can hear and smell.

    Interviews: Prefer interviews with those in the arts—mostly literary—but visual and performing arts will also be considered.

    Poetry: Up to 6 pages of poetry. That can mean one long poem or as many as 6 one-page (or shorter) poems. No more than one poem per page. Any style, any subject, emphasis on edgier material, but we’re not interested in the graphic details of your love life and we do enjoy a good laugh now and then–so just send your best material and let the rest sort itself out. We prefer work that is alive with the poet’s own experiences.

    While we do not publish much in the way of formal poetry in our magazine, we will consider it. In that regard, we like to see formal poems that maintain the integrity of the form without becoming stiff, uninteresting or losing their vitality.

    Click on the subject to find out about: Anthologies, Book Publishing, Contests

    Main Street Rag

    Marlene C