I've had a pretty interesting range of experiences in my short life. I had always planned on writing about them to supplement my retirement; but I've decided not to wait.
Last week, I sent this letter out to a few of my network contacts here on Gather;
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Hello to a select number of my contacts.
I've been doing a lot of thinking about something and could use some outside my box input to throw in the mix.
I'm Bcc'ing you because your are a member of my select group of Gather writing friends. All of whom, for varying reasons, I hold in my highest esteem. And I'd appreciates some feedback.
Would I be best served by writing my wanderer's memoirs as fiction or non-fiction? I won't need to embellish it. I do want to protect the innocent.
From what I've been reading lately, it would not be a stretch to say that I could hold a different, yet similar candle to Kerouac's experiences. All had during the 80's and 90's.
If you have the time and inclination, I could use some thoughts from others.
Peace in the New Year -
Bill
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I received about a half-dozen replies; and found out that this is a thought in the minds of many.
For the most part, everyone agrees on fiction. A couple of people suggested non-fiction but both said they would read a memoir published as fiction; because an interesting story is what counts.
Respondents pointed out that fiction allows creative free reign, the ability to embellish, protection for the innocent and the guilty, the ability to wander off from historical points to better make an ideological point.
Non-fiction has two major things going for it. It wields the appeal of the real and can have that Truth can be stranger than fiction element about it.
Advice towards using the non-fiction moniker included; be truthful without hurting anyone, be honest if you do embellish and remember that your memory may not be the same as anyone else's.
One person suggested the genre of "creative non-fiction." This genre apparently exists to cover any discretionary aspects an author might want to add. Although my initial reaction was jubilant, not knowing the defining details (like what percent of variation is allowed) left me feeling a little dicey about it.
Just about everybody suggested using the genre I felt most comfortable in.
A key piece of advice I received was this; fiction requires (not just allows) more plot, irony and resolution then a non-fiction writing of memories.
As I wrote some practice pages I realized that I could spread the characteristics and experiences of any one person among many characters; mix things around a little. A plot pointing towards a goal arouse like a thread all on its own.
At this point, I'd say I've settled on Adult Contemporary Fiction.
One of the people I contacted suggested posting this for a memoir discussion.
So, here we go. What's your thoughts?
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Comments: 17
One of the things that hit me is that it's the stories that are important. My experiences should provide me with the details I need, to convey the realism of things that happened; names of real people being less important. I get the feeling that more than one book will be written. Each following different winds of mood or theme, both past and present.
Thanks for the input.
Joanne - You are right on every count; powerful presuaders all. Thanks for chiming in.
From the dusty files of my youth I pull a memory of a Mayberry RFD episode where there was a huge flap in the town when one of the residents published a book about small town people and living. Too many unflattering similarities for some of the folks.
I guess I've decided not to write my memoirs. Instead, I'll use my life experiences and observations as a guide and source material to write mostly true fiction.
On another note: Creative Non-Fiction is just a way to label non-fiction that uses the techniques of fictions - like "This Boy's Life," by Tobias Wolff, or "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt.
in any case, i look forward to reading the true or nearly-true tales of bill.
It didn't occur to me to think of Wolff and McCourt. I guess we could include McMurty and perhaps Michner in that genre, as well.
I used to wonder how it was that Richard Bach, (author of Jonathon Livingston Seagull) had so many books filed as non-fiction when they were so often laden with fantastical accounts. Now I know the why / how of it.
Still, I'm mostly convinced to lean away from any non-fiction moniker. I do not want anyone I know, or have met, to feel put upon, unduly exposed or misrepresented. The way my current project is going, I expect any number of acquanitances could point and say "that's my experience; but that character is not me."
And that should do just fine. It doesn't seem to be spoiling my writing.
Someday, I hope to go back and pull together the totally made-up science fiction tales of stryderbill. I've got years invested in that. But I'm hooked on this now. Hopefully my attention span will see me through to a properly ended ten or twenty thousand words.