Memoirs?

Anyone doing a Memoir? What are you writing about?

I feel like doing a Memoir will be more motivating for me then just writing anything. I'm writing about my friends death, my grieving process and lessons learned through the experience.

Me! I'm doing a memoir,

My son died in labour July 14 this year. I have been blogging a lot of the process, but lots of people have suggested I write a book, and so that is what I am going to do. I have a working title "The Stillness of a Fox - Avery's Story" and an outline that I need to revise. I even have a mocked up cover to keep me motivated. I figure I should be able to write 2000 words a day since I automatically write blog posts between 500 and 1500 words, hopefully I can write 2000 words with a bit of effort..

I need to write this book, so I am going to be begging for a cheer squad here... I'm sad that this won't get counted as a proper novel though :(

I think with topics that are so close to us it'll be easier to write and reach the 50,000 :)

Tianakaesha, your story inspires me and I love your mock cover/avvie.

But what makes you say it won't get counted as a proper novel? Rebels are loved and supported here at Nano just like people who are following all the rules to a T. Rebels are even welcome to validate at the end of the month if they want :)

I'm taking a creative nonfiction approach to Nano this year and doing a memoir. I've done fiction the previous 8 years (mostly fantasy or sci-fi) and have had some successes. This year, I feel I need to do something more personal as catharsis.

My daughter was born sleeping last month at 38 weeks. She was our first child and an unexpected pregnancy - my husband and I live in Japan, and we wanted to wait until we got back to the States to start a family - but we were very excited to have her and raise her in Japan. I kept wanting to write about the pregnancy and chronicle the experience, but I was always too busy or too tired. We'll be staying with friends and family in the States during November and December, so I feel it's time to write about my experience during this year as well as keep Lauren's memory alive.

I'm writing a travel memoir, based on the years 2008-2010, starting with a nervous breakdown(how cheerful) and ending with a wedding in Sth Africa(how lovely). I have my travel journals from that time, and keep adding to a list of topics as they come to mind. My plan is to just pick a topic and run with it until I get bored, then trust that the next topic will leap out at me. I will be challenged to complete NaNo because there are 6-10 days in November that are just wipe-outs for me. Hoping to connect with other memoirists for some chat.

I'm actually considering doing my NaNo on the past 3 years I've spent working for Disney and my experiences, memories, etc. I was inspired to do so after being interviewed by author Bob McLain (who does a lot of writing for Disney) about my cast member experiences on my previous two internships. It might be something I do, I haven't decided yet. I'd love to eventually write it regardless to show how wonderful it is to work for the company and to encourage other college students to apply for the internships available.

I am writing a memoir as well! I'm doing them as journal entries that others might actually want to read - that sort of thing. I'm going to go through all the people in my life - my opinions, experiences, memories, etc. I have done NaNo two other years so far (with fiction) and have yet to win, but I have a good feeling about this year!

My current plan is to write a "quarter life" memoir, since I turned 25 this year. So I guess it'd actually be more of an autobiography. I'm also being rebellious since I actually started writing it already as a kind of structured journal, divided into parts based on my address(es) at the time.

(On the other hand, I may still completely change my mind and write some fiction. Or maybe, if the memoir goes fast enough, I can try to do BOTH! hahaha)

I'm doing a similar thing to sardonica, I'm writing more of an auto-biography. Not sure if I'll be able to get it done though, as I'm at uni, but hopefully it'll work out :) Good luck to everyone!

Hello:

The Memoir I am working on is called "The DoorKeeper." I survived a stabbing years ago after my mother's funeral while visiting with a friend. Her 16 year old son stabbed her to death in the basement of their home. Without provocation he began stabbing me. God spoke and told me three specific things to do (and I obeyed those things) in order to get out of the house alive.

I have always wanted to write and publish the faith journey of survival, healing and forgiveness that I experienced first hand.

What do you think???

I plan to write a travel memoir this year - although I am such a rule follower in real life that this label of "rebel" may be my undoing :)

I am writing about my recent two week trip to Paris --- which was 30 years in the making. This past spring, in the span of about 6 weeks, I lost my mother (which now makes me the matriarch of the family) - became a grandmother for the first time - and my youngest child graduated high school. I found myself in a new phase of life that I did not feel I was old enough to enter (I am 51).

So I finally made good on a 30 year dream and "lived in Paris as a Parisian" for 2 weeks this summer. I lived in an apartment, spoke French, took 3,500 pictures and kept a travel blog. I want to format this adventure into a series of personal essays that not only document the trip, but also include the thirty years that have shaped my life so far.

I'm planning on doing a memoir also. I've grown up amongst hard circumstances, poverty, neglect, verbal, mental, emotional abuse, another family member's mental illness, etc. I would like to fictionalize it a little since many of those involved are still living. It will also include my dad's death not too many years ago. I'm thinking of changing names, some details, timing of events, to protect the innocent and also to help with my subplot. I'm thinking of doing a historical fiction, based on some real events in my ancestors life. I think this subplot will help give the book some 'down time' relief of the harsh situations and some plot to it. I think I need to do this to help me heal, and go on. The abusers are still alive, and my dad's death is still raw. He was a victim as well as me, and another sibling.

I could use some cheerleaders. And am willing to cheerlead others who already posted on this thread. :)

I love all your ideas...I am a survivor of physical/emotional/sexual abuse and rape at the hands of about a dozen people throughout my life and spent my early adult years struggling to heal from it all, diagnosed with various mental illnesses, psych ward stay, suicide attempts, etc. I would love to write about it now that I've made it through...gosh now I'm not sure what to write. Best of luck to you all with your memoirs.

Hey guys,

I'm working on a memoir as well! It's already about half-finished and I put it down for about six weeks when I got a little stuck, but I'm ready to get back to it.

There are a lot of big, significant events that happened to me in a short amount of time, but it'll mostly be about losing my dad to pancreatic cancer and dealing with that grief while also learning how to live and be in college in post-Katrina New Orleans and dealing with the grief of an entire city as well.

So, that's a convoluted answer, but I'm really excited about continuing this project as I've been really wanting to do it for six years now. I finally feel ready!

And to anybody else who's writing about pain and grief, I'm definitely available to be a cheerleader whenever you need one!

I'm going to be writing a memoir as well. It's good to know that I'll have the company of fine folk such as yourselves.

Hey everyone!

I'm thinking of applying to grad school to get an MFA in Creative Nonfiction. I'm a Journalism major, and I took a class my sophomore year called Literary Journalism, and I fell in love. I've been a memoirist ever since.

As of now, my plan is to write a memoir. I'm thinking of writing about the relationship between my father and myself, and the tenuous truces that have made up our lives.

Good luck, everyone!

I just asked this quetion elseware. What about valadation? Why is memoirs such a bad thing in na no wri mo?

I am quite happy to find, that so many are writing memoirs - and omg - what stories you have to tell. Mine seems so simple. The last 3,5 years so many things happened to me and my family. My husband died, my company nearly went bankrupt, I lost a very dear friend (not by death, but she stopped acknowledging me), found a new partner...And I started to think, how all this happened, how I have found the strength to go on, how my life has developed, how I still have some dreams, I want to fulfill. So I guess, I need to write about it all, even if it is only for myself. I also need to get back into writing, one of my great loves. By writing about myself, finding myself, I hope to get this love back.

I love reading memoirs. Been thinking of working on one myself. All the best to everyone. And a big hug to those grieving. I lost my mother last year and miss her terribly.