Summary VS Scene Creative nonfiction

The sections that you want to highlight? Turn into scenes. The ones you want to pay less attention to? Turn into summaries.

Pretend you're telling this story to a group of friends. Yu can even tell it out loud to your monitor if it helps. What do you draw out for drama and what to you rush through? That will help point out what needs to be a scene and what doesn't.

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

What Ruth said.

Always keep in mind: what's the point of this story? That will help you decide whether the scene or the summary is more appropriate.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Not to be redundant but I'm also writing about a difficult topic for me to relive again. But if what your writing about is difficult memory wise, that is truly hard to do for some of us.
What I personally did was write it out like I'm telling someone about those events. But once I get to a point in the book where events lighten up, I go back and read what I've written and edit the material and make changes which are going to happen. Then I take another step back and with another page write down where I was when each events ocured. Any details that I can recall and slowly place them into your material. But don't completely take my advice, since I'm sure there are plenty of talented writers here.

What most people want in a memoir is scenes. Summaries just serve as bridges, to condense time, to draw out "lessons" etc. Not as the main "meat" of the reading experience.

Pushingfordream said:

Can you slowly reveal your downfall? As you are progressing towards a solution? [Yes, that's a good idea. Better than springing it on the reader.]

Like as you realize something you tell how things used to be? Like tell about the past? [Yes, you can reflect on the past. Most memoir readers expect it.]

Or should you show scenes from the past that show, intead of generalize the thing you wish to protray? [Do both.]

Should you show your "past life" right before you show your "new life"? [Depends. There are several ways to organize the material of your life. Do what works.]

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Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Comments above.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

A couple of observations. First, are you sure you're ready to tell your story. It sounds like you've put emotional distance between yourself and your story. I could be wrong. Second, have you read a lot in the memoir genre? I think if you do that, you'll see a lot of different ways to do the things that are concerning you. It's nearly impossible to answer your queries without knowing more specifics. And last, I'd recommend going to Jerry Waxler's Yahoo group, Life Writers Forum. It's chock full of memoir writers who are ready and willing to help. Here's the link, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lifewritersforum/messages . Hope that worked. If not, just go to Yahoo Groups and search for "lifewritersforum." Best of everything! ~Karen