Wednesday, November 10, 2010

What is too young?

In an effort to distract myself from my NANO WIP, I started outlining a memoir today...and started writing the first chapter.

But now I'm wondering...when are you old enough to write a memoir? I'm only twenty-six, but a piece of my still active ego argues that I've had some pretty unique experiences. I am also writing a genre memoir, focused on one aspect of my life (my quirky spirituality) rather than an all-encompassing tale. I feel like my experiences are ones that should be told and that might be something readers could connect with...

but really. Writing a memoir at twenty six? I realize that I haven't even begun to live yet!

But the memoir is slowly growing, the NANO WIP is excruciatingly slowly growing, and the Poem a Day challenge is flourishing. I'm really excited to see what I produce: all my poems so far have a fairy tale theme, and this is a lot of fun for me. It's different to write poetry based on a prompt with a narrative voice rather than spilling my guts onto the page in my usual self-absorbed poetic fashion.

I'm scattered, but it's a good kind of scattered. At least, that's what I'm going to pretend.

3 comments:

  1. God does not guarantee you'll get a long life (unfortunate truth). Go ahead and write it! You could inspire someone who's struggling with the same things you've learned to embrace!

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  2. Exactly! No one knows what a "lifetime" will turn out to be, so no need to wait! Besides, people don't read a memoir to read about every single year of your life--they want the journey! Go for it!
    I know that you know "Bird by Bird" but have you read Anne Lamott's "Traveling Mercies: Thoughts on Faith" or "Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith?" (Both wonderful books but you get my point--write this one now. If you need to, you can always write a second (or third) book about the journeys that come later. Good luck!

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  3. Thanks, ladies! You're both right...no reason to wait!

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