Writing Character in Memoir vs. Mystery Fiction When we sit down to write, the word character means very different things depending on whether we’re telling our own story or inventing someone else’s. Understanding that difference can sharpen our prose and deepen our reader’s connection. Characters in Memoir: Living People on the Page In memoir, your […]
Premise vs. Theme: What’s the Difference—and Why It Matters Writers often use the words premise and theme interchangeably, but they serve very different purposes in storytelling. Understanding how they differ—and how they work together—can deepen your writing and give your story the focus it needs, whether you’re writing fiction or memoir. The Premise: What Happens […]
The issue of Endnotes recently came up in conversation with a memoirist, so I thought I’d address it here. To have them or not to have them? When most readers think of endnotes, they imagine heavy biographies, scholarly works, or history tomes where every statement must be documented and sourced. Endnotes reassure readers that the […]
As I mentioned when I described what constitutes a “scene,” whether it’s in a memoir or fiction work, there are other building blocks that go into telling a story. Today I’m going to talk about Setting More Than Just Background When I think about writing, whether memoir or mystery, setting is one of those elements […]
Definition of a Scene in Memoir Wendy Dale defines a scene as a piece of writing that occurs at a specific point in time—marked by a clear time anchor such as “one day,” “that Thursday at 3 p.m.,” or “four hours later.” It’s the part of the story where the reader actually lives through the moment […]
S. CHRIS SHIRLEY It is my pleasure to introduce S. Chris Shirley, award-winning author and director, whose first novel, Playing by the Book, was recently published by Magnus Books. Chris, before we start, I want to tell you how much I loved your book. Every time I put it down, I felt like I had […]
LORENZO PABLO MARTINEZ 