Author and editor Diane Taylor has published a new book called The Gift of Memoir.
I highly recommend it.
Diane is part of my blog community: you’ve likely seen her replies to my posts. When she asked me to read her manuscript, I said “Yes”, and dug in.
Yippee! I can tell you without reservation that this is a strong book. It’s full of useful and inspiring tips that benefit not only writers of memoirs, but any author.
Edited and published by BPS Books, this is a great read.
Here’s what’s been said about A Gift of Memoir so far:
“Every writer can benefit from reading Diane Taylor’s wonderfully clear, down-to-earth, practical, and inspiring book. But for the memoirist, in particular, Taylor’s expertise is invaluable.” –PHILIP MARCHAND, National Post books columnist and author of Ghost Empire: How the French Almost Conquered North America
“The Gift of Memoir will lift you from desire, doubt, and inclination to exploration, discovery, and triumph. A bountiful gift for the hearts and minds of aspiring memoirists.” –DAVID H. HUGHES, author and ghostwriter of thirteen books.
Among the topics addressed:
- Telling the truth when you aren’t sure
- Journaling as a kind of personal writing workshop
- Four strategies to retrieve memories
- How to use anecdotes and establish themes
- How to write through the five senses
- How to choose a form that fits your writing
- The revision process
Diane Taylor lives in Northumberland County, east of Toronto. She has had a varied life, working as a lab technician, seamstress and book seller. Some years ago, she and her partner built a large sailboat and “sailed south”.
That’s when she started writing.
“Life on the ocean and in the islands was so fresh and immediate,” she says, “I felt an urgent need to record it so as to not forget it, to re-experience it in words, and to communicate it to others in various sailing magazines. A book resulted: The Perfect Galley Book.”
Other books followed. Diane has also taught memoir-writing and is an avid member of the Spirit of the Hills writers’ group. (In fact, the book explains why writers should join such groups.)
You’ll find my own recommendation for The Gift of Memoir on the book’s back cover.
This is a fine book, a great read and a worthwhile toolkit for authors.
Congrats, Diane.
*This book is sold on Amazon, Chapters Indigo and other online bookstores. Links are contained in the text of this post.
Cynthia Reyes 