From Truth To Art
'Writing the Memoir' is the book to guide the writer just setting out, or one already embroiled in the task of writing anything based on personal experience. This book is also full of sound advice on general writing skills.
This book is inclusive of anybody who is serious about writing the truth about their experiences, whether for a small audience or family or the general public, and therefore, it does not oversimplify what is involved in writing a memoir. Barrington tackles both the deep questions such as reliving painful memories, and the practical ones such as bringing stories and people to life on the page, and finding the appropriate form in which to write. She talks about the subtleties of the relationship between factual and emotional truth and the distinction between initial reaction to trauma and the writing of layered experience after the lapse of time. These questions come up for all writers, but have particular importance for the writer of memoir.
Writing memoir, or in broader terms, writing from personal experience is clearly the book's focus. With its step by step approach and exercises, the book reminds as much of 'The Writing Book' by Kate Grenville as Patti Miller's, 'Writing Your Life' but it is different enough from either of them to complement rather than compete or replace.
The book goes well beyond providing direction for writing memoir and it provides sound accessible advice for the development of writing skills in general. The advice and exercises about finding form, planning dialogue, dealing with time and using description for example are all fantastic.
