Four ways to write about life, part 2
In my last post, I wrote about different approaches for writing memoirs. In part two, you’ll find four more ways to write about a slice of life.
Pet memoirs. Pets have a tremendous impact on our lives and experiences with them make for great storytelling. Dog Years: A Memoir by Mark Doty and Ever By My Side: A Memoir in Eight Pets by veterinarian Nick Trout are two examples of animal stories that endure.
Coming of age. Published in 1967, Stop-Time by Frank Conroy is a classic American autobiography. Rocket Boys by Homer Hickham is the story of Hickham’s goal to work for NASA and how he and his classmates found a way to make their dreams to launch a rocket and win a science competition come true. The book was later made into a movie called October Sky.
Physical challenges. The History of My Shoes and the Evolution of Darwin’s Theory by Kenny Fries is beautifully written account of how his specially made shoes help him adapt and move through life. In Autobiography of a Face, Lucy Grealy wrote about her struggle with cancer. Grealy was diagnosed at age 9 with Ewing’s sarcoma, a cancer that attacked her lower jaw. Grealy went through many surgeries, as well as chemotherapy and radiation. Her memoir examines her suffering, the meaning of beauty in society, and her struggle to be accepted for who she was.
Survival stories. In Night, Holocaust survivor Elie Weisel wrote a riveting account of his survival in the Nazi death camps. Norman Olstead writes about surviving a plane crash and his coming of age in Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival.
For four more ways to write about life, read part one of this post.
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