Writing Memoir Together

Author and education consultant Tornow (Link/Age, 1997) presents a thorough guide for aspiring memoirists.

Everyone has a story, but not everyone thinks theirs is worth telling—in part, perhaps, since they don’t know where to begin. Enter Tornow, who helps would-be writers put pen to paper. Tornow maintains that a memoir is all about documenting one’s life; whether for possible publication, chronicling a family’s legacy or simply to delve back into long-forgotten memories. She encourages her students (and readers of this book) to, quoting the author Anaïs Nin, “taste life twice,” by sharing their stories. Other writers, both renowned (Frank McCourt) and lesser known (like Tornow’s students) make their way into these pages, contributing inspiring quotes or excerpts that support brainstorming techniques, making the content feel both relatable and aspirational. Tornow pairs her own work and anecdotes with various other practices, such as clustering, which utilizes a “nucleus word or phrase” to generate free-association inspiration—a great way to overcome writer’s block. Each chapter also contains group exercises, suggested topics to spur ideas, Internet resources, comparative reading and a weekly challenge. Some readers might find such direction a little too academic, but these tools provide a handy road map for someone seeking a way to get started. Like most homework, these assignments will only improve a writer’s craft. While the book is admittedly aimed toward those working in a group setting (and Tornow strongly advocates the collaborative process), the methods outlined work equally well for a solo diarist. Tornow also takes time to warn against the pitfalls of creative nonfiction, such as novelizing real-life events à la James Frey or “telling” rather than “showing”—a common mistake among writers so concerned with painstaking accuracy that the overburdened narrative suffers. After all, memoirs start with memories. As Tornow says, “I add these details to the scene because they bring it alive, not because the scene came to me with the precision of a digital video.”

A well-structured, efficient way for both beginners and more experienced writers to explore writing about their lives.