Memoir Monday: A Diverted Post

It's time for another Memoir Monday. I usually review a memoir written by a writer or artist. I love reading and sharing what helps them creatively and productively. Today's post is a little different. I received an email from a local writer (Thanks Kate Rothwell) and thought it would make a great Memoir Monday feature. It's a collection of authors and their writing rituals posted on the blog on http://www.mastersdegree.net/. I hope you find it as interesting (and odd) as I did.

"20 Acclaimed Authors and Their Unique Writing Rituals"

Have a creative, productive week!

Kristin : )

Memoir Monday: After the Falls

It's been a while since I've posted a Memoir Monday. This is an interesting one to jump back in with. Catherine Gildiner takes us to relive some very personal and public experiences that molded her into the author and person she is today. After the Falls: Coming of age in the Sixties by Catherine Gildiner follows a girl's journey from the simplicity of childhood to the complexities of adulthood. It's the follow up to her first memoir, Too Close to the Falls (New York Times bestseller).

Life for Cathy was idyllic in the mist of Niagara Falls. She was happy working in her dad's pharmacy, making deliveries with Roy, causing havoc in school. Life was simple. Then they moved to Buffalo. Catherine was 12 and her life was turned upside down. She had to figure out who she was in a new town, in a new school, and did this with same anger and angst that most kids carry through adolescence. Her father seemed to be suffering from his own identity crisis and her mother remained detached from it all.

There were many pivotal moments that propelled Cathy from a child to an adult. She witnessed the cold and abusive loss of innocence of a girl, grieved with the country over the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, enjoyed friendships that literally rose out of ashes and had to turn from others that went up in smoke. But nothing forced adulthood on her faster and more cruelly than finding out her father's behavior changes were caused by a brain tumor. His short term memory was nonexistent and it was slowly eating away at his long term memories. She had spent so much time being angry or embarrassed that when his illness was revealed, it was too late to apologize. He couldn't understand day to day that he was sick. Her mother pulled further out of touch, unable to cope, leaving Cathy to take control of her family's welfare.

Eventually Cathy's mother pulled herself together and pushed her to go to college. Through her writing she meets her first love, Laurie. With him she learns to expand her vocabulary and thinking. Together they champion for the Civil Rights Movement. He would also break her heart when his double life is revealed.

These are just some of the experiences Cathy shares in this moving memoir. I'm always amazed when writers are able to open themselves up so completely on paper for the world to read. Catherine Gildiner did not hold back. This is a powerful read.

Now, as I like to do in my Memoir Mondays, I'll talk about what this memoir taught me about writing.

Write Honestly: There were parts in this that I'm sure were hard to write, those are the parts that made it so powerful. Those moments of guilt, embarrassment, fear, grief are what grab the readers and helps them to celebrate the lighter, happier moments along with the memoir writer (or fictional character).

Expand vocabulary: If I come across a word I don't know the meaning of I write it down and look it up. Here are some of the new words that caught my eye while reading After the Falls.

1. anachronism - something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time.

2. tickey-boo - term used to describe an event that is proceeding quickly.

3. idioglossia - Speech or other vocalizations unique to an individual and generally incomprehensible to others.

I'd love to hear some of the new or strange words you've come across in your reading lately.

After the Falls: Coming of Age in the Sixties by Catherine Gildiner is now on sale at Amazon , Amazon.CA , RandomHouse.ca , Mobipocket eBook , and more.

Thanks for stopping by.

Kristin : )

** One lucky commenter can win a copy of After the Falls: Coming of Age in the Sixties. Simply leave a comment to be entered. This giveaway is limited to USA and Canada readers, but all comments are welcome to discuss the book or to share new words.

Memoir Monday: Mini Memoir of Scotty the Man Hater

For this week's Memoir Monday I am trying something different. I will be sharing a personal story, kind of like a mini memoir of my own. This is one of those stories our kids ask to hear every few years and it still makes me laugh. I hope you enjoy.


In the early years of our marriage my husband wanted to get a bird, not just any bird, he wanted a cockatiel or a parrot. He was convinced it would be easier to care for and more entertaining than a dog or cat. We looked into buying a baby cockatiel or parrot. They were very expensive. The idea was put on the back burner when we found out I was expecting our second child. A few months later I ran into a friend from school. She invited me and my son to her daughter's 1st birthday at her parent's home. Turns out her parents had a cockatiel and they were looking for a good home for it because they were moving to Florida and couldn't take it with them. They wanted very little money, as they were more concerned about the bird living out his last few years in a good home. Scotty was his name, and according to my friend's parents, he was already 12 years old.

Looking back I should have known something was up when they led me down a dark hallway to a large cage covered in a sheet. Beneath it you could hear strange grumbling sounds and hissing. The sheet was lifted only enough for me to be sure it was actually a bird in the cage and not a snake, or some horrible mutant animal. They were quick to explain that Scotty didn't like crowds. We would have to keep him covered when we had a lot of company or he would become too stressed. Ok, I thought, we could do that.

I left for home that day with a cockatiel, a beautiful big cage, and two separate raised platforms that looked like mini playgrounds. I was told how much he loved to be out of his cage, although they didn't dare remove the bread ties that held the cage doors shut.


My son and I arrive home to surprise my husband with Scotty. He happily helped make room for the huge cage in the living room and then we set up the bird playgrounds on opposite ends of the the first floor of our apartment. One by the front window and the other beside the sliding glass doors. Scotty loved the sit and look out the window, we were told. When everything was set up, and the last swinging bell hung, we untied the cage door to let Scotty out in his new home.

He didn't move. My husband reached in to help his bird out. Scotty squawked, bit his finger, and shrank back into the corner of the cage hissing. We assumed he was scared and left him alone for a while. My son, not yet 2 stayed at the cage. I was afraid the bird would bite, but it calmed right down. Before we knew it Scotty was making soft whistling sounds and saying, "Pretty Bird." My son was giggling, all was good.

A few days later we try again. I open the cage and this time Scotty hops right on my hand. My husband turns to say something from the kitchen, Scotty's feathers bunch up on the back of his neck like a cat ready to fight, he suddenly flies straight for my husband. He ducks, I scream, my son is giggling, and Scotty is flying around in a complete panic. With visions of Alfred Hitchcock's movie The Birds in my head I run to protect my son's eyes. Scotty takes another swoop at my husband, squawks, and crashes into the sliding glass door. He falls to the floor. The apartment is silent. I'm still holding my hands over my son's eyes and my husband and I can only look at each other in utter shock over what had just happened.

My son breaks us from our trance with a one word query, "birdie?" I give a look to my husband that sends him to investigate. He looks back at us and says, "he's moving." My son and I go closer as my husband bends down to pick up Scotty. The bird hops to his feet and starts hissing, angrily, and running at my husband in some crazy bird warrior pose.

We finally did get Scotty back into his cage and, after similar scenes played out over the next few months, we called the previous owners. They admitted that he had not actually been out of his cage for a long time. They also admitted that Scotty, the bird I got FOR my husband, might have some slight issues with men. The irony of this still makes me laugh. We were told to give him time, he would get used to my husband.

Over the years my husband was diligent with Scotty. He kept his cage clean, fed him, and changed his drinking and his bath water daily, but Scotty remained staunch with his dislike of him. He hissed and spit every time my husband got within a foot of the cage. And if my husband were so bold as to lie on the floor with me or my son to watch television, Scotty would open the cage, drop silently to the floor, and sneak up like a bird ninja to my husband's feet and snip at a toe. Or sometimes he would sneak up and just hiss at his feet, which I found hilarious because my husband would just about hit the ceiling every time. Imagine looking down as the feathery head dress pokes over the top of my husband's foot and beedy little accusing eyes stare at us.

It became clear that my friend's parents were less than honest on a few things. They never did move to Florida, Scotty never came around to like my husband, and he lived much longer than anyone ever expected. When we got him he was around 12 years old, he lived another 12 years. Also, there was nothing slight about his issues. He may have been suffering from a bird form of schizophrenia. Turns out cockatiels are very intellectual birds and can suffer from depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia.

Scotty is still missed by us all, even my husband. Thankfully, he kept his hatred focused only on him. My three boys, he would sing to and talk sweetly. He even learned how to say my oldest son's name. To my daughter and I, he was always a gentleman/bird. He would whistle when ever we walked by, the sexy whistle, and say' "Hello." To my husband, he remained a full blown man hater until the sad day his angry little claws pointed toward the sky.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in our almost fond memories with Scotty.

Kristin : )

Memoir Mondays: On Writing Well by William Zinsser

On Writing Well by William Zinsser is not exactly a memoir, but it does have a chapter on Memoir writing. So, for that it has earned a place on my Memoir Monday shelf.

This is "an informal guide to writing nonfiction". It is intended to help the nonfiction writer with things like, improving your lead, how to interview and critique. It covers writing about Science, Technology, Nature, Business, Humor, and, of course, Memoirs. In addition to all this I think it offers great advice to all writers.

It's important for all writers to know that "rewriting is the essence of writing" and the best way "you learn to write [is] by writing". Those quotes from the book may sound redundant and simple, but they are true. The more you write, the better you will become at it and that goes for rewriting too. Zinsser puts it perfectly with this thought, "Nobody becomes Tom Wolfe overnight, not even Tom Wolfe."

My favorite part of this book is that Zinsser respects there are "... all kinds of writers and all kinds of methods, and any method that helps people say what they want to say is the right method for them."

Some other great points I took from Zinsser was to simplify as much as possible, grab the readers attention right away, keep focused on what you're trying to say, and if you don't have passion for what you're writing you shouldn't be writing it.

I'm going back over my WIPs now to apply some of these. What do you think of William Zinsser's advice? Have you read On Writing Well, or any of his other books?

Thank you for stopping by.

Kristin : )

Memoir Monday: A Gift From Brittany

A Gift From Brittany by Marjorie Price is a great memoir about an artist, mother, wife, and friend. Although these titles do conflict at times in her life. Her husband, an artist from Paris sweeps Marjorie off her feet and off to the remote countryside village in Brittany, France.

The move from Paris to their run down 1/2 of hamlet (basically a small village in itself) was a hard transition for Marjorie. There was a lot of restoring to do before they would have any of the comforts they were used. Slowly it became clear that her husband demanded the artist spotlight. He expected Marjorie to raise their young daughter and nurture his art career and turn her back on her own lifelong dream of being an artist.

While her relationship weakened between her and her husband another relationship was growing. Marjorie's friendship with a elder neighbor, who seemed to exist completely in the distant past, taught her how to fight for her own future.

I found two main messages in this memoir. 1) You have to follow your heart when it comes to living out your dreams, and 2) Life is a delicate balance between what you want to have and what you must let go of.

Ms. Price works with watercolors mostly, but also showcases some beautiful acrylics. Her artwork is currently on display from April 3 through April 24, 2010, at the

Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center40 South Carroll Street, Frederick, Maryland.

If you would like more information or to take a look at some of her pieces you can stop by her website http://www.marjorieprice.com/ .

Thanks for coming by today's Memoir Monday featuring artist and author Marjorie Price.

Kristin : )

* This memoir was sent to me by a publicist. No money or promise of a positive review was exchanged. All opinions are my own.

Memoir Monday: Ernest Hemingway

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway is this week's Memoir Monday. It's considered a work of fiction, but is shelved and better known as Hemingway's memoir. I imagine it is considered a fictional story because it was written more than 35 years after the dates it covers, which was the years young Hemingway spent in Paris (1921-1926) and he admits to omitting many events and people.

Hemingway writes about his time in Paris, his work schedule, and the great writers and artists he knew. This is before he had written a full length novel and he expresses many times how worried he is that he won't be able to, or that it will not sell. What also comes out very clear is how superstitious Hemingway was. He carried a horse chestnut and a worn rabbit's foot in his pocket for luck. He liked to feel the rabbit's foot poke him through his pocket while he wrote to remind him that the luck was there.

Besides his superstitions Hemingway followed some good writing practices.

• He would reward himself after a good day of work, usually with a drink.
• Although he is known for his drinking he writes about his discipline in that area too. He never drank after dinner, before or while writing and when he had something due.
• He always stopped his day of writing knowing what was going to happen next, so he could pick right back up on his work the next day.

...never to empty the well of my writing, but always to stop when there was still something there in the deep part of the well, and let it refill at night from the springs that fed it.

Hemingway believed in mot juste, using exactly the right word or phrase for the situation and he learned to distrust adjectives. Although he had written some of his work far ahead of the times, which made it inaccrochable (according to Gloria Stein) he refused to change his work to make it publishable. He considered that to be like whoring his work, something he was very openly against any writer doing.

The story Gloria Stein told him was inaccrochable was Up in Michigan. It was about date rape, a sensitive subject now. Hemingway wrote it in 1922 and did not see it published until 1938. The only things he changed were the real names of the people he wrote the story about.

I think the best lesson Ernest Hemingway's memoir expresses is to stay confident in your own writing. He suffered some set back, addictions, and rejections, but remained confident in his writing abilities. This kept him going each day.

I have read most of Hemingway's work, short stories and full length novels. He is one of my favorite authors because of his straight forward dialogue and his ability to bring you right to the places he writes about.

A Moveable Feast was published after Hemingway's death along with 3 other books. The first book I read of his was Islands in the Stream (also published posthumously). I found it very hard to follow. It seemed to cover too much time and hop from place to place. I liked the tighter time frame of A Moveable Feast and that most of it was in Paris. It was a good look at the early years of his career and included helpful advice for writers today.

Have you read A Moveable Feast? What did you think of it?

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to leave a comment if there is a specific memoir you would like to see covered in a future Memoir Monday.

Kristin : )

Memoir Monday: Please Excuse My Daughter by Julie Klam

Please Excuse My Daughter by Julie Klam is a unique memoir. Well, by definition every memoir should be unique. We all see life from our own perspective and that fact alone makes each memoir different. But this one stands out because it's about a woman who had to overcome being a Princess. I never would have thought of this as a problem, let alone an obstacle to overcome in life. After reading Please Excuse My Daughter I see how it can be as much of an obstacle as coming from generations of poverty stricken families. Either way you are raised to believe there are set expectations, limitations to what you can do and constant reminders to strive for the status quo. These are powerful things to overcome whether they are imposed by society or, in Julie Klam's case her own family.

Julie was raised to believe that you could do anything, as long as when you were done you went out and found a rich husband to take care of you. Secondary education was encouraged, as long as you went to a good business school. That's where the men were. Ms. Klam knew that she wanted more for herself than to land a millionaire, but finding her own path was not easy. This is where her struggle begins.

The best part of this memoir is there's no family bashing, no blame, just a snapshot of a writer trying to go from a Princess to independent woman. With the support of her family and the help of her therapist she makes the journey. With her writing she gave me many laugh out loud moments and made me think.

As a writer I can relate to Julie Klam's aversion to rejections. They are tough and the easiest way to stop getting rejections is to stop sending out your writing. It's also the easiest way to stop pursing a writing career. By the end of the memoir I couldn't help thinking of the saying, A Writer Writes. It's a simple statement, but so true. Julie Klam found her independence, financial and personal, through her writing. The more she wrote the more her confidence grew in her writing.

I finished reading Please Excuse My Daughter in less than a week and was motivated to get more of my own writing out there. I have been working on finishing a few different long term writing projects, but will be submitting more articles, poems, and short stories to on line and print publications. So wish me luck and few rejections :)

Thanks for stopping by for today's Memoir Monday. I would love to hear your thoughts on Julie Klam's memoir, Please Excuse My Daughter.

Kristin : )

Memoir Monday: Anne Frank

This picture of Margot, Otto, Anne, and Edith Frank was taken in Amsterdam (1941) right before they went into hiding.

After having to admit that somehow I managed to get this far in my life and had never read Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, I went out a bought a copy. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how moved I was by it. What happened to all those innocent people at the hands of Adolf Hitler was horrific, and yet you can't help but be inspired by the words and insights of this teenage girl.

I am not going to do a lengthy review or even summarize it (too much). It's been done a thousand times over by almost every high school and college student in the world. We all know what it's about, and if you don't you should run right out and grab a copy.

I will say this...

Anne Frank's diary from the 25 months she, her family, and 4 others spent in hiding gives a chilling account of the effects of World War II. But there are so many other lessons to be learned from this book, depending on what perspective you read it from. Preteens and teens can relate to the angst and loneliness Anne writes about and adults are reminded that these feelings of wanting to be understood and loved are real, universal, and timeless.

As my Memoir Mondays are focused on the craft of writing, I will talk about Anne Frank's diary from the prospective of a writer. What could a teen age girl from World War II teach about writing? You would be amazed. Had she lived, Anne Frank would have written many beautiful stories and undoubtedly would have achieved her dream of being a journalist.

Here's what I learned about Anne Frank as a writer.

1. Anne had all of the important characteristics needed to be a successful writer.

• A curiosity of human nature (but also an innate ability to understand the negative and positive aspects of human nature)


• Ability to observe (both herself & others)


• Humour


• Able to honestly report her observations


• An eagerness to learn


• A willingness to work hard


• Incredible Resiliency

2. Anne, as young as she was, could combine all of these in her writing and yet was always trying to understand more to improve. Having all of these characteristics, usually found in adults, and the heart and innocence of a child made Anne Frank the voice of World War II victims and an inspiration to the world.

Her dream of being a journalist was not achieved, but her wish to go on living after her death continues to come true through her diary. She understood and respected the power of the written word at a very young age and because of that gave the world a gift that will last for many lifetimes.

My favorite example of her understanding of this power is also the reason she gives for starting a diary. She talks about her longing for a true friend and decides to treat her diary as if she were communicating with a friend (Kitty). Anne expresses her belief that writing thoughts on paper was better than telling someone and mentions the old saying, "paper is more patient than man."

I did not start this book expecting to include it in my Memoir Monday series. I expected a sobering account of a terrible time in our world's history. I certainly found that, but as I read I also found myself amazed with Anne Frank's ability to capture so much more. She was more than a young Jewish girl who died at the orders of a psychopath. She was a teenager trying to figure out what it meant to be a daughter, sister, friend, and most importantly who she would become as an adult. She helped reinforce my own belief, that learning is a lifelong process no matter how long your life is.

Thanks for stopping by for Memoir Monday. I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments on Anne Frank's diary. The book touched me in so many ways, heartbreaking and inspiring. I hope that if you haven't read it you make some time this year to. You won't regret it.

Kristin : )

Memoir Monday: Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

Hi everyone and welcome to another Memoir Monday, actually the first Memoir Monday of 2010. I have chosen a very good book to start the new year with. It's the perfect blend of relaxing and creative advice. So, take a deep breath and join me in discussing...

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

This is the perfect title for this book. Where previous Memoir Mondays included authors who discussed and shared their own writing paths, Bradbury allows us into his heart and soul. He shows you exactly where his stories and ideas come from and teaches how we can all tap into our own creative fountains.

Bradbury offers an exercise to get you thinking and creating. He says to write down a list of things you love and hate. What do you want most in the world? What do you fear? This is where you will find your stories. He does this list in title form (The Attic, The Jar). Then he goes back through the list and adds details to the ones that move him most. Finally, he focuses on the idea that calls to him the loudest, the one that stirs the most emotion.

He recommends a few other daily exercises to keep your mind in shape.

• Read Poetry everyday. He says that all reading (magazines, novels, nonfiction, etc) is needed, but poetry helps flex your creative muscles. It expands your senses, keeps you aware, and holds ideas.
• Write at least 1000 words a day
• Write a short story every week
• RELAX, WORK, and DON'T THINK

The last one is really where the Zen comes in. In order to get a lot of writing work done, you have to relax. The more relaxed you can get, the easier the words will flow. Stressing out over who will like or dislike your work, or how much money you will make from it, is a sure way to crush your muse and your creativity. Bradbury says don't think about any of that until the work is done. It doesn't matter what order you put them in, you can not write to your true abilities if you can't follow these: RELAX, WORK, and DON'T THINK.

I loved this quote...

"The faster you blurt, the more swiftly you write, the more honest you are. In hesitation is thought."

...so to finish this with his own advice. "In hesitation is thought." If you're thinking, you're not relaxed. If you're not relaxing, you're not working. It makes sense.

I am going to do my best to follow his advice in my own writing. What did you think? Do you agree or disagree with Ray Bradbury's advice and thoughts on the writing craft?

Thanks for stopping by for Memoir Monday. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury.

Hope the rest of your week is productive and creative.

Kristin : )

Memoir Monday: Rita Mae Brown

I know, it's been a while since my last Memoir Monday. I have finally finished reading Rita Mae Brown's writing memoir, Starting From Scratch. This is an older book, published in 1989. But even at 20 years old it still has some useful information for writers today.

The first thing that's obvious is Ms. Brown is a highly educated woman who is full of wit and great, straight forward advice about every aspect of the writing and publishing process. With that said, I have to admit that some of this book is intimidating to say the least. Her fluency in languages, mythology, and the history of literature is astounding.



I consider myself an education lifer, both in traditional classrooms and in learning new things in day to day life. but at my pace I would need another lifetime to achieve the levels she has. Although I am tempted to take a Latin class and the mythology also sounds interesting.

Outside of her education, I am also impressed with her dedication and self motivation when it comes to writing. She believes that writing comes first, above all else in your life, and that you need to be in the best physical and emotional condition to do it well. She actually follows a routine to get her mind and body ready to start a new book.

As I have said before, we all take something away from every book we read. Here are some of the points that stuck with me in Starting From Scratch.

• Writing the truth can be harder than speaking the truth.
• Don't get hung up on reading every review of your work. They come after the book is finished and therefore too late to do you any good.
• Never hope harder than you work.
• Stories can find life in other forms, outside of novels and short stories. Brown also enjoyed writing screenplays.

Compare & Contrast

Both Stephen King and Rita Mae Brown believe that you have to read a lot of books, good and bad, to understand what works and what doesn't in your own writing.

Brown believes the craft of writing can be taught; that a competent writer can be turned into a fine craftsman...if not a blazing genius. As opposed to King, who believes there are set levels of writers and no amount of education can change a competent writer into a great one.

Twitter me this...

As I read these memoirs I can't help wonder what these authors would think about today's on line social networks, which have become common place for writers and others in the book world. I imagine that Rita Mae Brown would not like Twitter. She is very strict about not talking about her writing and says that if you're talking you're not doing.

Have you read Starting From Scratch? If yes, I would love to know what you thought. Was it helpful to you or did you have a hard time connecting with her advice?

I'll finish with a great quote from Rita Mae Brown.

Creativity comes from trust, trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.

Thanks for stopping by.

Kristin : )

It's Memoir Monday...with Stephen King's On Writing

Thanks for stopping by for Memoir Monday. Today's memoir is Stephen King's On Writing. So let's get right to it.

I have to admit that I put off reading this memoir for a while. Not that I have anything against Stephen King, I'm just not a big fan of horror. I assumed that because he wrote mostly scary stories that his memoir would be similar. I was wrong.

What I did find in this memoir was a lot of great advice and real life experiences from his own writing journey. The best for me was reading about his rejections. This is a normal part of writing, but so many of us take each one like a brick being thrown through the front window of our writing career. So, it's great to read that even an accomplished and prolific writer has rejection scars.

As in all reading, we take from it what pertains to our lives at that specific time. A good book will have a different effect each time it is reread. Different ideas and details will be noticed depending on where we are in our lives. These are the things that stood out for me in this memoir. You might have similar points or might have been drawn to something completely opposite. Maybe you didn't find anything at all you could relate to in this book. I don't think that's the case, but I also am a firm believer that every book has something -even the smallest bit of something- that teaches us a valuable lesson. Yup, even really bad ones can teach you what not to do in your writing. That's what we're here to discuss. What did this book do for you?

First of all, this book made me laugh. King started off with quick glimpses into his childhood and although they had a certain sadness to them they are told in a way that you find yourself chuckling. I mean, a babysitter who sat on his head and farted? That's gross and comical. His description of being buried in marsh-gas fireworks, and the fact that he credits her with preparing him for future literary criticism, is just plain funny. Other parts made me laugh too, but this one was right in the beginning. Make me laugh right away and I'm hooked.

Next thing that stood out for me was the reoccurring advice to "write with the door closed and rewrite with the door open". What he says is to write the story by yourself, get it all down on paper and then let someone else read and comment. He warns that letting people in before will make you write to please them and that will change your story. I related with this message because I have a hard time letting anyone see my writing until I feel it is done. Not completely edited, but done to the point that it's not floating around my head anymore; it is securely anchored to the page. I thought it was just an insecurity of my own, which probably is part of it. When I was working on my first book I could only write when everyone was out of the house. I have since forced myself to get over that. With 4 kids and a husband finding time alone is as rare as finding $20.00 in the dirty laundry pile. It happens, but not enough.

Another section that caught my attention was about King's struggles with writing The Stand. I can relate to many of the things he said and the frustrations he felt trying to get the story to come out right. I am going through this with my current WIP. After writing the 300+ page first draft I found myself unhappy with some parts. After a lot of rewriting I still didn't love it. I have gone back and forth with killing the idea all together, but I always come back to try again. I know there is a better story still hiding somewhere inside of this one that hasn't come fully to light yet. After reading chapter 10 of On Writing I had a new outlook on it. King was having problems with his novel The Stand and turned his focus to theme to get it back on track. It got me thinking what was the theme, the main idea, or lesson of my story?

I wrote down some things that repeated themselves through out my WIP; really starting digging for the deeper story underneath. I kept thinking about it until finally it hit me the other night while making dinner. I knew what was missing and I actually got goose bumps. Also almost burnt dinner when I ran for my notebook to write it down, but that is a different story :)

There are many other things I learned and liked about this book, but these were the main ones that jumped up and grabbed me by the collar. Here's my question to you.

After reading Stephen King's On Writing what parts jumped out for you? Or if you couldn't relate, what disappointed you most?

I would love to hear your thoughts and will respond to all comments left today. Please be aware that my comment page can be touchy. It often gives me hard time publishing my own comments. If it rejects your comment, please click publish 1 or 2 more times. It usually works then. It it stubborn sometimes ;) If you still have a hard time you can drop me a note on Twitter, @KCBOOKS or email me at dkcallender@sbcglobal.net .

Thanks,

~Kristin : )

Memoir Mondays: Stephen King

I have been reading a lot of authors' memoirs lately. I love hearing how and why different people write and their experiences in the publishing world, good and bad. Each one has taught me something about my own writing. Some offer a wealth of information and others only bits here and there that I can relate to. That is the basis of all reading; finding something we can relate to. What that is exactly may differ from reader to reader. So, with that in mind I want to start a weekly discussion about author memoirs. I will announce the author and his/her memoir and post my thoughts every Monday.


Monday October 19th discussion will be on Stephen King's On Writing

I hope that you will stop by to discuss your thoughts on this book. Was is very helpful to you or did you only find bits and pieces that related to your own writing? I have not found a book that I could not learn something from; some by good examples of what works and others by displaying what doesn't.

Hope to hear from you on Monday.

~Kristin