Post #229 – Memoir Writing Tiny Tip – Matilda Butler
Tiny Tip #4 Just for You
This is the fourth in a new (irregular) series of short blog posts designed to get you to focus on just one small point. I call them Tiny Tips.
Scroll to the bottom if you are interested in how this series got started.
Case in Point:
I attended a dynamic piano duo concert featuring Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe. The program noted they are: “Known for their adrenalized performances, original compositions, and notorious music videos.”
The concert was indeed electrifying. It was also inspiring. It provided the concept for today’s Tiny Tip #4. The third number that Anderson and Roe played was by Johannes Brahams–Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op. 56b. If you don’t know the work there is a Theme, followed by eight Variations and a Finale.
This reminded me of how often memoir writers have a series of vignettes that they want to write. What’s the best way of doing this? If there is a common theme (e.g. life lessons, growing up with three siblings, travel adventures, etc.), then consider how you might shape them into a theme and variations.
The important point here is that variations need to be different in tempo as well as in words. Taken as a whole, the variations might be: fast-paced, slow, happy, sad, light, heavy, etc. Vary the feel of each variation as well as different story details. It is through variation on the theme that the writer’s meaning comes through.
If you have written some vignettes, go back and look at them again. Do they all have the same tone? Do they sound like Johnny One Note? If so, consider today’s Tip Tip #4 — craft variations on your theme.
And that’s what you need to do.
How This Tiny Tip Series Started
The idea for a series of short writing tips came to me while reading the program notes for a chamber music concert. I realized that many (well, ok, most) of my blog articles get to be long and often require you to do certain things — like write from prompts I’ve provided. And while I will continue with this type of longer article because I think they are of real value, I realized that sometimes as writers we just want a little bit of information or a small new idea or a thought stated differently. We don’t have a lot of time.
That’s the concept behind each Tiny Tip. Just a nugget to give you something to think about as you go through your busy day.
Enjoy.
{ 0 comments }
