Is it time to write your memoir, life story or history?
I'm Kiwi writer, publisher and newspaper owner Charlotte Squire and I'd love to help
Kia ora ๐๐ผ I think most people go through a process when theyโre writing their memoir. Do they listen to the doubt? Or honour the story that wants to flow out of them? Do they follow the guidance of their inner critic and give up? Or write their story regardless? At last month's online memoir …
Kia ora dear memoir writer, My team and I have just finished making another newspaper for our Golden Bay. It feels like a Friday! Hereโs the thriving little newspaper I recently bought, in case youโre interested. Just as it is when Iโm writing articles, when youโre entering into the world of memoir writing (whether youโre writing about …
Kia ora dear memoir writer, How are you? Are you feeling inspired to write your memoir? Or perhaps youโre feeling stuck? Or youโre not sure where to start? These are all common feelings for people writing their memoirs. Today I have a question for you, which I randomly dug out of a list of 100 …
You never know who will read your book one day, or the ways your story will impact peoplesโ lives. Mike, a student on my memoir course who wrote a book called A Boyโs Journey has discovered a huge community of people on Facebook who, like him, were โ10 pound poms.โ His book has sparked some …
Kia ora! How is your memoir coming along this week? Iโve been editing a few great books lately. Theyโre written by everyday people who, when you dig just below the surface, have lived extraordinary lives. When Iโm reading over a well written draft, there are many things I look for. I wanted to tell you …
Kia ora, With this monthโs theme being โharvestโ (today Iโm freezing grapes and grated zucchinis, and itโs thrilling), I want to ask you to consider what youโve grown in your lifetime? Is this a story you could include in your memoir? Perhaps youโve grown a family, a community or a home? Maybe you grew a …
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S32Ru-E0YbM Howโs life this week? I have some exciting writing projects on the go, one of which Iโm going to tell you about soon (itโs big, for me anyway!). Recently someone asked me why people would bother writing their memoir if they hadnโt done something deeply impressive. I had a lot to say in response. …
Continue reading "Do I need to have done great things to write my memoir or life story?"
Kia ora fellow writer, How are things coming along this week? I love it when people ask me questions and last week a farmer called me asked me โwill you need to write it all proper and formal? Thereโs a lot of humour in my family and we do swear sometimes.โ Great question. Hereโs what …
Continue reading "How ‘myself’ can I be in my memoir or life story?"
Kia ora *|FNAME|* Itโs nice to pop into your world today, and exciting to welcome you newbies to my (mostly) weekly memoir chat. Iโd love to know how you found me (considering how little marketing Iโve been doing lately)! If you want to explore a few years of memoir tips, pop into my blog. The …
Iโm sure youโve heard the saying โnever let the facts get in the way of a good story.โ When it comes to writing your memoir, this line often proves true! So how important is it for you to fact check? Well, it depends. The more accurate your info is, the more seriously folks will take …
Kia ora, This month, in honour of Valentine's Day, Iโm focusing on love stories. Because, I can. I am, at heart, a romantic. I love the โhow did you meetโ stories. My dad met my mum at the Whakatu Hotel in Nelson. She wore a full suede outfit. Think long suede boots, a suede skirt …
Kia ora, I was talking with a memoir client today who sighed and said, โthe photos seem to take longer than writing the book!โ I thought this might be a good reason to prepare you! Not all of you will be using photos in your stories, but if you are, here are five things you …
Kia ora lovely, Howโs that memoir of yours coming along today? Yesterday I met with my Golden Bay memoir group, and someone was saying they were unsure whether to dive deeply into one aspect of their story, or write more generally. They saw they could very quickly end up with waaaay too much info for …
Kia ora from mid-summer in Tฤkaka ๐๐ผ I write to you from a busy home, overflowing with teenage boys, a clingy dog, a husband who keeps escaping to his man-shed to paint water colours, and social butterfly of grandmother. Have you wondered how to write a story that people canโt put down? Every now and …
Continue reading "How to write a memoir they can’t put down"
Kia Ora How are you on this fine summer's day? Are you finding time to work on your story? This will be the last email from me this year, and I want to talk to you about your memories of your parents and grandparents. Sometimes people ask me if I think they should include them …
Kia ora, I thought Iโd show you a short video about Mike Brownโs new book today. Heโs currently in Christchurch excitedly delivering it to his grandkids. How cool is that? Mike had been working on his book for 20 years off and on until he stumbled upon a free memoir course I was giving at …
