Genealogy Books - Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir

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Summary: A good motivator
Comment: A pleasant read, well written and even inspirational. A good motivator for the writer that needs to
connect with other writers. I did find it helpful in terms of creating a concept of *focus* when
writing a memoir. Still, if one is looking for help with craft or skill, it has its limitations.

Customer Rating:

Summary: If you're thinking about writing memoir
Comment: In INVENTING THE TRUTH, several memoirists offer their viewpoints on writing about one's life. Each
author talks about the process of discovering different ways to tell their own stories and then
subjecting their stories to a critical analysis, understanding that it might be told differently.
They consider how the author knows too much and must distill this glut of information into a
dramatic, readable narrative that will hold a reader. That means using many of the techniques of
fiction, but also being true to the events. The examples prompted me to buy several of the memoirs
discussed. This book would be very helpful for anyone considering writing a memoir and it's a
terrific cross-section of the genre for anyone wanting to read some of the best. ~Joan Mazza,
author of DREAM BACK YOUR LIFE, DREAMING YOUR REAL SELF, and 3 books in The Guided Journal Series
with Writer's Digest.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Must-Read
Comment: This is a must-read for anyone embarking on a memoirs project because it helps clarifying the
question of WHOSE truths can and should be expressed in a memoirs. As the president of Modern
Memoirs, a private publishing firm that specializes in personal memoirs and family histories, I am
constantly recommending it to clients and their families. It's especially useful when one member
of the family wants THEIR version of the truth to supercede the memoirist's own version. Good
companion to Tristine Rainer's excellent The New Autobiography, and Richard Stone's The Sacred Art
of Storytelling.

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