Post #47 – Women’s Memoirs, Author Conversations – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler
It isn’t enough to hook your reader.
How To Write a Memoir Opening
This morning I posted a blog on Story Circle Network’s Telling HerStories site where it is my day to write about memoir openings in a series I call Opening Salvos. Most of my posts focus on what I’ve learned from an author interview. In addition to sharing insights and techniques, I also share the audio of the conversation.
I’ve been saving a segment from our interview with Linda Joy Myers for today’s post. Linda Joy has published a memoir and a newly released book called The Power of Memoir: How to Write Your Healing Story
I hope you’ll listen to this five minute audio taken from that interview. In addition to talking about her own experiences with writing openings, Linda Joy provides examples from several well-known authors and points out what each does in the opening. Then she gives us two take-aways:
1. Write your start at the finish.
2. Play with your opening.
Listen below and let Linda Joy explain what she means by these.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Meanwhile, why do I say “It isn’t enough to hook your reader.”
When I started my series on openings, the idea was to interview authors, get their advice, and pass it along to you. When I look back on this past year, I see some important concepts have emerged. I’ll provide a summary in my next blog on this topic since the accumulated wisdom of these authors will give you some perspectives you may not have considered.
Sometimes we start down one path and then see more clearly where we need to go once we’re well into our journey. That’s what has happened to me. I now see that more is needed than simply getting the reader engaged. Setting a scene isn’t enough on its own. Robust dialogue isn’t enough. A sensory-rich description isn’t enough. These might hook your reader, but the author needs to focus on why the opening was chosen and what it reveals about the story. The opening should tell the reader about the story in a way that is the best precis ever written.
That’s why I chose the photo at the top of this page. There needs to be both a hook and a light. As you work on your memoir’s beginning, consider how the opening of the story can be so well crafted that the reader is hooked and how the opening can also provide light. The reader deserves to have light shed on your perspective on the tale being told. That’s the real hook.
