tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post4299286524195790346..comments2023-06-10T22:42:19.087+10:00Comments on Australasian Christian Writers: Such an interesting bunch! - Jo-Anne BerthelsenUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-81825638069363038972014-09-19T21:50:24.122+10:002014-09-19T21:50:24.122+10:00Narelle, a definition of memoir I like is: 'Me...Narelle, a definition of memoir I like is: 'Memoir is an aspect of a life shaped by any number of parameters, including time, place, topic or theme.' So a memoir could be about a particular period in our lives or a particular relationship or our journey in search of meaning etc. A biography or autobiography tends to cover the whole of a person's life--but sometimes not everything is mentioned in a biography/autobiography. So is it more a memoir then? Also, the memoir I have just finished writing includes a lot about my life but also has a little bit of teaching, plus some questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. So ... what is it??? Hmmm!Jo-Anne Berthelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775045057529728396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-68873782470903592012014-09-19T19:31:54.098+10:002014-09-19T19:31:54.098+10:00Jo-Anne, fascinating post! I'm curious about t...Jo-Anne, fascinating post! I'm curious about the genre distinctions. I've heard people say they like reading biographies and memoirs, as if they're in the same category. They're often shelved together in book stores. Thanks for sharing your perspective with us :) Narellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07665380446283721576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-15680186442285764742014-09-19T12:40:07.063+10:002014-09-19T12:40:07.063+10:00By the way, the term 'creative fiction' I ...By the way, the term 'creative fiction' I have used in the fourth paragraph of my blog should read 'creative non-fiction'. My apologies! Put it down to having a bad dose of the flu!Jo-Anne Berthelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775045057529728396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-71888407191205933862014-09-19T12:36:31.739+10:002014-09-19T12:36:31.739+10:00You're such an encourager, Dale--thank you! I ...You're such an encourager, Dale--thank you! I am aware there will be a good number of fiction writers at the conference but I hope there will also be some at least who are into writing memoir or biography or the like.Jo-Anne Berthelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775045057529728396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-66238612065448408202014-09-19T12:34:39.814+10:002014-09-19T12:34:39.814+10:00Thanks, Rita. And what insightful comments from th...Thanks, Rita. And what insightful comments from the lady who helps Ghanaian women tell their stories! Funnily enough, I had already decided to mention something along those lines at the beginning of my workshop--I have seen in my own journey of coming to memoir writing after having written six novels how much crafting a novel can help with crafting a memoir. With memoir, you still need that good narrative arc and the interesting characters and the challenging people/situations etc--it's all simply part of good story telling, don't you think?Jo-Anne Berthelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775045057529728396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-60295976301777580842014-09-19T10:22:07.309+10:002014-09-19T10:22:07.309+10:00Love this post and the fact that God makes us all ...Love this post and the fact that God makes us all so different so there is no one right way to craft a novel, poem or memoir. I'm sure all who go will enjoy your workshop Jo-Anne.Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14217918666756258037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-87868157532430744342014-09-19T10:03:53.120+10:002014-09-19T10:03:53.120+10:00Such an interesting take on the craft, Jo. Yes, we...Such an interesting take on the craft, Jo. Yes, we really need to learn the basics but then write in our own way. Otherwise it just becomes a case of following a set formula which can turn a great story into the mundane. <br />A few weeks back at a conference I was introducing a lady who holds a PHD from Oxford and works in Ghana teaching young African women to write their stories. Just for fun I said, 'With fiction you can have a plot with twists and turns, a villain giving the protagonists a hard time, and also some romance. This makes for a page-turner...so how do you capture the same interest in a non-fiction story?' She looked me straight in the eye and said, ' We use a plot, tell about an antagonist, (a person, the elements, or maybe the culture) giving the main character/s a hard time and maybe also some romance!' That garnered a hearty laugh from the audience and helped sell her books!Rita Galiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14586506137798711397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-89216079322347061752014-09-19T09:36:15.536+10:002014-09-19T09:36:15.536+10:00So true, Jeanette. Even as I was preparing my work...So true, Jeanette. Even as I was preparing my workshop, I kept thinking I didn't do all the things I suggest in it when I wrote the two memoirs I have written! Yet I was also remembering that other authors approach things differently so it's important to mention the different ways of writing. Jo-Anne Berthelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775045057529728396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-19746672437205655772014-09-19T09:30:54.240+10:002014-09-19T09:30:54.240+10:00I've just finished preparing the workshop, Nol...I've just finished preparing the workshop, Nola, but will no doubt reflect on it a lot more before then. I hope it will be helpful, but there's so much to say it's hard to know what to leave out. And, with such interesting authors like you there, Nola, I had better leave time for comments from you all!Jo-Anne Berthelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775045057529728396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-33576728539491581912014-09-19T08:57:04.358+10:002014-09-19T08:57:04.358+10:00Thanks Jo-Anne for a thoughtful post. Great to rem...Thanks Jo-Anne for a thoughtful post. Great to remember that we are all different and what works for me doesn't necessarily work for someone else. That's one of the things I love about God's creation - the diversity - and how beautiful when that diversity works in harmony together :)Jeanette O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11057798704247611224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-89477494584568893882014-09-19T07:31:32.259+10:002014-09-19T07:31:32.259+10:00Thanks for that Jo. I'm looking forward to yo...Thanks for that Jo. I'm looking forward to your memoir workshop at the conference.Nola Passmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08425394685430146759noreply@blogger.com