Some of the most useful, powerful, and perhaps lesser known resources I recommend to my students who are working on memoirs, life stories, and family histories, and use in my own memoir writing are listed below. They include electronic and hard copy resources, including some of the sharpest and most helpful memoir writers on Twitter.
Let’s continue the tradition of writers helping writers: Leave your favorite memoir, life story writing, or family history writing aids in a comment so others can benefit. Thanks!
Web Sites
– 5 Ways to Start Your Memoir on the Right Foot
– Write a Memoir to Remember!
– Resources for Writing Memoir
– The Market for Memoirs
– Women’s Memoirs
I think you’ll also find 100 Memoirs and Alexis Grant, The Traveling Writer useful and inspiring memoir writing resources. And visit the National Association of Memoir Writers.
Books
– Women Writing on Family: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing, by Carol Smallwood & Suzann Holland, Editors
– Your Life as Story, by Tristine Rainer
– Shimmering Images, by Lisa Dale Norton
– Turning Memories into Memoir, By Denis Ledoux
– Fearless Confessions, by Sue William Silverman
– The Memoir Project, by Marion Roach Smith
– A Friend from Far Away, by Natalie Goldberg
– Plot and Structure, by James Scott Bell. (Even though this book is aimed at fiction writers, it’ll show you how to plot your memoir so it’ll be as readable as a novel.)
Follow on Twitter
– @LisaDaleNorton
– @LindaGartz
– @shirleyhs
Don’t miss Virginia Lloyd‘s fine website, which includes information about grants for writers. Follow Virginia on Twitter, too.
I’ll be adding to these as I recall, for example, those memoir and life story writers I follow on Twitter. Please leave a comment about the resources you turn to again and again for guidance in your memoir writing.
And, see “What Really Fuels a Powerful Memoir.”
Twitter: @lynettebenton
Hi Lynette, Thanks for following me on Twitter. I followed you right back as soon as I saw this subject on your blog! I have been blogging at http://www.100Memoirs.com for 2.5 years and have collected many memoir reviews and “top ten” lists and have been writing commentary on memoir. Anyone interested in the subject can use the tags and search function on the blog to look up a subject related to memoir. Hope you don’t mind if I offer my own work. Others to check out–Jerry Waxler at http://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/ and Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett at WomensMemoirs.com. Also http://www.storycircle.org/index.php. National Association of Memoir Writers, led by Linda Joy Myers (http://www.namw.org/)
Shirley, I *love* everything having to do with memoir, so I can’t wait to visit (okay, hang around) your blog. I do know and visit WomensMemoirs.com and you’ve just reminded me to join, not just follow, Nat’l Association of Memoir Writers. I just got Modern American Memoirs (excerpts), edited by Annie Dillard, fromthe library.
Thank you for commenting and offering great tips here. I truly look forward to knowing you better, through Twitter and your site.
Polish and Publish is on its way to you.
[...] I’ve found most helpful for students’ writing, as well as my own, take a look at Must-Have Memoir Writing Aids. And check the comments on that post for even [...]
Hi Lynn,
I’m coming really late to this post, but followed your Tweet today to Virginia Lloyd’s guest post on the difference between Memoir and Family history (a choice I’m struggling with — think I’ll do both!) and then her link to this post. What a wonderful surprise to see you suggested following my tweets! Thanks so much. I think both this post and Virginia’s guest post contain helpful, specific advice. I’ll send off to my writers’ group for others to check out.
Thanks a big bunch!
Thank you, Linda. I also tweet interesting work from your blog. You’ve got a good thing going.
Thanks for the mention! I love Your Life as Story, too
Dear Lynette, I’m embarrassed that I have only just discovered this post, more than a year since you generously listed my Twitter handle among your recommendations for people to follow about memoir! Thank you for placing me in such fine company. If you would consider linking to each of us from your site that would be terrific. I am currently revising my site and about to develop a resources page myself, and I’ll definitely be linking to you.
Now: about MY MOTHER’S MONEY. This is a wonderful scenario for a memoir. Where are you up to with it, and how are you organising the material? I am quite fascinated to read it.
All best, Virginia
http://lynettebentonwriting.com/2011/01/must-have-memoir-writing-aids/
YOU are my best aid!