Enjoyed this one. Gave me a lot to think about how characters are presented to readers, in memoirs and in fiction. I’m currently reading The Liars’ Club. Sadly, I’m late to Mary Karr and her memoir badassery. I tend to read any memoir piece with a relative degree of narrative license and perspective that reflects a point in time for the author. Helps me appreciate the writer as an individual and others for their own perspectives vs insisting on “the truth.” Not sure if that’s correct but it’s always helped me better connect with the story. Good luck with your submission.
I agree with you about narrative license. I just think there's a strong way to do it and a weak way, and the weaker way involves telling your audience what you want them to know, rather than letting them come to conclusions on their own.
Yes, very much agree on letting reader come to their own conclusions > telling them. Similar to documentary film in that way. Thanks so much for the pod link. Absolutely will have a listen and share with my friend who recommended it.
I tend to enjoy docs that present a person or event and let you learn/experience it. Hoop Dreams, Senna, Man on Wire, Jiro Dreams of Sushi are a few that come to mind. I loved Questlove’s Summer of Soul.
Admittedly, there’s a lot of popular and financially successful docs (Michael Moore, etc) that have an agenda, and I don’t think that makes them bad per se, it’s just generally not my preference for docs.
Are writers not permitted to tell stories from their individual perspectives? The pen is in my hand, I will tilt the spotlight as I see fit. The other characters are welcome to craft their own narrative of the events.
Of course! Stories should be told from the writer's perspective. All of my stories are told from my perspective. I'm arguing that if I make myself the victim and blame others I can lose the reader's trust. If I want the reader to root for me, which I do, I need to showcase the worst parts of myself, especially in relation to others.
Also, as a reader, I find myself annoyed and even insulted when writers write some of their feelings, as if I'm too dumb to come to my own conclusions. If a cockroach skittered across the floor I don't need to be told that "It was disgusting," or "I was horrified." WE KNOW. I guess this is more of a side point but sometimes leaving out your thoughts and feelings is really just treating your reader with respect that they'll figure out what you're hoping they'll figure out.
For what it's worth, I think what you wrote tapped into a familiar feeling...we have had those thoughts about tricky family relationships. Could it have been better? Of course, like any writing can, but I thought it was a solid piece, like most of your writing. I'm starting to understand that writing is about timing more than anything. That's how persistence is rewarded.
Thank you, Camilo! You're right, it can always be better. Every week I read the Modern Love column and compare my piece to it lol. Some weeks I'm like, ugh, I'm not going to get it and other weeks I'm sure again that I will. Must persist regardless!
Your devotion to and honesty around your craft is insanely admirable, and it's why your writing gets better and better and better.
Thank you, friend.
I don’t read the Times. I read Transparent Tuesdays and am better for it. 🙂
Ahhh haha thank you, James!!
<3
Enjoyed this one. Gave me a lot to think about how characters are presented to readers, in memoirs and in fiction. I’m currently reading The Liars’ Club. Sadly, I’m late to Mary Karr and her memoir badassery. I tend to read any memoir piece with a relative degree of narrative license and perspective that reflects a point in time for the author. Helps me appreciate the writer as an individual and others for their own perspectives vs insisting on “the truth.” Not sure if that’s correct but it’s always helped me better connect with the story. Good luck with your submission.
Huge fan of Mary Karr! I did a podcast episode on what I learned from that book if you're interested after you're finished reading:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5UQm6sE7KVwR7uaRCRoZ4f?si=3cAreE3ITVqStWlmoWzNng
I agree with you about narrative license. I just think there's a strong way to do it and a weak way, and the weaker way involves telling your audience what you want them to know, rather than letting them come to conclusions on their own.
Yes, very much agree on letting reader come to their own conclusions > telling them. Similar to documentary film in that way. Thanks so much for the pod link. Absolutely will have a listen and share with my friend who recommended it.
That's an interesting point about documentary films. It makes sense. Is there one that comes to mind?
I tend to enjoy docs that present a person or event and let you learn/experience it. Hoop Dreams, Senna, Man on Wire, Jiro Dreams of Sushi are a few that come to mind. I loved Questlove’s Summer of Soul.
Admittedly, there’s a lot of popular and financially successful docs (Michael Moore, etc) that have an agenda, and I don’t think that makes them bad per se, it’s just generally not my preference for docs.
Are writers not permitted to tell stories from their individual perspectives? The pen is in my hand, I will tilt the spotlight as I see fit. The other characters are welcome to craft their own narrative of the events.
Of course! Stories should be told from the writer's perspective. All of my stories are told from my perspective. I'm arguing that if I make myself the victim and blame others I can lose the reader's trust. If I want the reader to root for me, which I do, I need to showcase the worst parts of myself, especially in relation to others.
Also, as a reader, I find myself annoyed and even insulted when writers write some of their feelings, as if I'm too dumb to come to my own conclusions. If a cockroach skittered across the floor I don't need to be told that "It was disgusting," or "I was horrified." WE KNOW. I guess this is more of a side point but sometimes leaving out your thoughts and feelings is really just treating your reader with respect that they'll figure out what you're hoping they'll figure out.
For what it's worth, I think what you wrote tapped into a familiar feeling...we have had those thoughts about tricky family relationships. Could it have been better? Of course, like any writing can, but I thought it was a solid piece, like most of your writing. I'm starting to understand that writing is about timing more than anything. That's how persistence is rewarded.
Thank you, Camilo! You're right, it can always be better. Every week I read the Modern Love column and compare my piece to it lol. Some weeks I'm like, ugh, I'm not going to get it and other weeks I'm sure again that I will. Must persist regardless!