From the category archives:

Student Stories

Rhona Villanueva’s “Gypsy Baron” Gets the Details Right

by Memoir Mentor on March 15, 2010 · 2 comments

If you’ve been reading regularly, you’ll know that I’ve been preaching DETAILS in my classes this term–encouraging my students to move away from general, forgettable descriptions to more carefully crafted, specific portraits. This week’s story was written by Rhona Villanueva, who was born in Estonia , fled with her family to Germany at the outset of [...]

Tagged as: autobiography, Family History, Genealogy, life-story-writing, memoir, personal-history, Rhona Villanueva, The Gypsy Baron, writing tips

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Kathleen Anderson’s Story Shows Why Details Matter

by Memoir Mentor on March 8, 2010 · 1 comment

Writing books tell you it’s all in the details. It’s true. We make our stories more vivid, compelling–and real–with descriptions that include concrete, specific details. “I noticed a dented, blue Chevy parked in the driveway” is more interesting than “I noticed an old car in the driveway.” Or how about spiffing up “I waited an hour at the [...]

Tagged as: autobiography, details make a story, Family History, Ireland, Kathleen Anderson, Kerry, life-story-writing, memoir, Roscommon, writing tips

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Bob Stumpf Shows How to Put Yourself into Your Story

by Memoir Mentor on March 1, 2010 · 5 comments

When you’re writing your life story, don’t forget to put yourself into it. I’m not joking here. Too often people like to describe events that happened during their lives, but they don’t explain how they felt about those incidents and how they shaped who they are. Revealing how you feel about things means writing [...]

Tagged as: athlete, autobiography, Bob Stumpf, cycling, emotions, Family History, feelings, life-story-writing, memoir, personal-history, writing tips