Memoir Author Interview: Storm Large Talks about Writing “Crazy Enough”

Post #75 – Women’s Memoirs, Author Conversations – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler

Be a Contest Winner — Leave a Comment Below for a Chance to Win a Copy of Storm Large’s Memoir

Today, Women’s Memoirs interviews memoir author Storm Large. Leave a Comment below for Storm and one lucky person will receive a complimentary copy of her new memoir.

Memoir Author Interview

Women’s Memoirs: Hi Storm. Welcome. Women’s Memoirs is pleased to introduce you to our readers and our readers to you. Let me begin by introducing you — Storm Large (yes, that’s her real name) is a musician and author of Crazy Enough: A Memoir, her new book published by Simon and Schuster. Switching roles, let me introduce our readers to you — they are passionate about memoir and are either gearing up or already writing their memoirs. They especially appreciate hearing from others who have gone through the struggle to take a deep look at their lives and to share what they find.

Women’s Memoirs wants to thank Storm Large and her publisher for sponsoring a contest on this website. Leave a comment for Storm in the Comment section below this post. We’ll choose one of the Commenters to receive a complimentary copy of Crazy Enough: A Memoir. We will contact the winner to get your address so that a copy can be sent to you.

Here’s Question #1. Storm, you are a musician, an Indie singer with a busy schedule. Yet you decided to write your memoir. I wonder if you could tell us about the evolution of your book, Crazy Enough: A Memoir. I know that you have an album by the same name that you completed in 2009 and an autobiographical musical with the same name that you performed in Portland, also in 2009. When did you decide you would write your story as a book rather than as lyrics? Did you think of all three versions at the same time or did they morph?

Storm Large: Hi Matilda. I’m delighted to meet your readers. If they have ever doubted themselves and worked hard, in one way or another, to come out of the craziness of life, then I know they’ll enjoy my memoir.

But let me answer your specific question. The album and the show happened at the same time, and the book happened because of the show. While I was writing the script for the show, my friend, Larry Colton, an author (Counting Coup, Goat Brothers and No Ordinary Joes), asked me to perform at a fundraising event for his literary festival, “Wordstock.” He asked to see what I was working on and then went ahead and sent it along to his agent, Richard Pine. Larry and Richard, then commenced harassing me for a book proposal. The book is very different from the show as there is zero singing.

Women’s Memoirs: Question #2. In one interview, you mentioned that your family supported your decision to write this memoir. Not all families are supportive, especially when the story talks about your mother’s mental health diagnoses and hospitalizations as well as your pursuit of a life that was spinning out of control before music brought you back. Did having a supportive family make a different in your ability to write? Would you have written your memoir even without their agreement? Did you ever turn to your family for specific research such as dates or places? What advice do you have for women writing their memoirs who don’t have this level of support?

Storm Large: Any memoirist will tell you that memory is a tricky, misty beast for everyone, including the folks you ask to help you remember things. Most especially when those things were not terribly nice. I asked my Dad and brothers about their recollections and matching dates and such, but they mostly had moved on from that time. They filled in a lot of gaps for me, and enlightened me to their processes, but pretty much told me to write my story. My brother John was the most concerned for me in my reliving all these memories, Dad too. I’m not sure they’ve read the book, but they are all relieved that I’m done writing it. My advice is just that. Write your story. Five people see a car accident, there were five different car accidents. Everyone has a story, and everyone has a right to tell it.

Women’s Memoirs: Thanks Storm. You’ve given advice that we may have heard before, but we need to hear it over and over. There are often people who don’t want us to tell our stories. That’s what family secrets are all about. Here’s my next question.

Question #3. Many memoirists say that it is healing to write about their life story in that it gives them a new perspective on the events, the people, and definitely themselves. In what ways do you think writing Crazy Enough: A Memoir provided some level of healing for you?

Storm Large: Writing Crazy Enough: A Memoir was the hardest, scariest most gut wrenching awful thing ever. I’m glad it’s done. I feel like I have kind of grown up again. Gone back as a more level-headed adult, into the jungle of my most pissed off and terrified childhood darkness, poked around with a flashlight and found the wild child, little shit, loser slut I thought I was, was just a sad little thing looking for love and acceptance. Actually, I have way more compassion for my whole family, now.

Women’s Memoirs: Question #4.Do you have any advice for women just now starting to write their memoirs?

[Kindle Version, available for instant download] Storm Large: You know that expression, “Dance like no one is watching, love like your heart has never been broken..?” Write like nobody will ever read it. Write it all down, strictly for your eyes only….this could also mean a friend or lover, confidante or writers group can be in on it too…but mostly, you need to write everything down, FOR YOU. Even if you think it sucks or nobody will care. You are safe from judgement in the womb of the blank page. Write everything down as much as you can, for as long as you can. You will know when you have a story.

Women’s Memoirs: Storm, thank you for joining Women’s Memoirs today and sharing your experience in writing Crazy Enough: A Memoir.

We invite you to leave a comment on this interview. One person will be selected to receive a complimentary copy of Storm’s memoir, Crazy Enough.

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