Memoir Authors discussion

Big Backpack--Little World was my memoir of teaching and traveling for 10 years. Once again I am hard at creating a look back at my life in Alaska during the 60's-70's. This is ten times more difficult than my travel memoir, because it happened so many years ago.
How do you writers feel about breaking a memoir into short stories? I would love your input.If anyone feels like critiquing a couple of them, you would make my day.The word count on some are 10,000 to 5,000. Thanks for any help.

Hi Donna,
I am also thinking about writing a second memoir at the moment. I must say, the thought is daunting though as I know how much work went into the first one!! So for the moment, I'm simply writing a 'journal'.

I think that doing short stories as different chapters would work fine. I'm about to leave on a ten day holiday, but when I come back, I'd be happy to read through one of them for you :)

Donna wrote: "Big Backpack--Little World was my memoir of teaching and traveling for 10 years. Once again I am hard at creating a look back at my life in Alaska during the 60's-70's. This is ten times more diffi..."

Leila wrote: "Hi Donna,
I am also thinking about writing a second memoir at the moment. I must say, the thought is daunting though as I know how much work went into the first one!! So for the moment, I'm simply ..."

Donna wrote: "Big Backpack--Little World was my memoir of teaching and traveling for 10 years. Once again I am hard at creating a look back at my life in Alaska during the 60's-70's. This is ten times more diffi..."

Hi Leila,
Thanks, I look forward to sending you a couple of chapters, when you return from your vacation. You can e-mail me when you return. Have a great trip.

Hi Donna, I am writing my first memoir and I am writing it in vignettes. It is the only structure that works for me thus far. I would love to exchange work with you.
Caril

Donna wrote: "Big Backpack--Little World was my memoir of teaching and traveling for 10 years. Once again I am hard at creating a look back at my life in Alaska during the 60's-70's. This is ten times more diffi..."

That's exactly what I did. Broke my memoir into short stories. But mine is a different animal in that it covers many generations with interlocking characters. I called them chapters when I was writing them, but, looking at the book now, they sure look like short stories.

Pam Houston does this technique really well- and it is my plan for my second memoir, too. Part of CNF it seems will always be what to include and what up exclude, and how the whole functions as more than a sum of its parts... That's probably the real challenge.

Shannon wrote: "Pam Houston does this technique really well- and it is my plan for my second memoir, too. Part of CNF it seems will always be what to include and what up exclude, and how the whole functions as mor..."

No kidding. I've been wrapping up all the drafts of my memoir so i can go on to my next project and I found all these orphans -- the stories I chose not to include. I guess I'll use them on my author facebook page or on my blog to "add value" to the people who follow my there.

Faith, that's a fantastic idea, actually...!