Writing Lessons
10/18/16
Writers are moving from novels to memoirs
I started the first writing course and agency ten years ago and focused only on novels. Almost all the writers who found me saw...
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I started the first writing course and agency ten years ago and focused only on novels. Almost all the writers who found me saw 'writing a book' as 'writing a novel' so my work was to get writers to plot, plan and craft their novels. Publishing and writers have changed dramatically. Not many writers send queries about wanting to write a novel any more. Most writers who find me want to write their own story - either as a memoir or a non-fiction book.
Because my background is as an editor and journalist this has made my coaching life easier. I love facts and personal stories. This is an editor’s home turf!
Writing memoir or non-fiction doesn't require the element of fantasy. On one level the harder creative work in crafting a novel does not apply here. Instead of pulling a story out of thin air and wrapping it in your imagination you are using your own life to tell a story.
But writing about yourself calls on different parts of a writer. It calls on you to weave a compelling plot out of your own life. IT calls on you not only to tell your story, but first to find your story! This is the real work of memoir. What is the heart of your story? What is the universal that reflects in your life? Is it about hope, revenge, faith, courage, success, and family? And how are you going to plot this so the reader takes this journey with you.
I first developed a course for memoirs that I first ran as a weeklong retreat. This kicked up a level in 2015 when I ran an online Compete your Book Mastermind Course with Kate Emmerson. We had writers from all over the world join this group. The results were amazing. Using coaching, pushing and writing techniques to actually plan and plot a book properly we got our writers to complete their first draft of their books. All? Nope of course not! But many of them.
So from a tiny writing course that started in South Africa over ten years ago I can tentatively say we have gone global!
People no longer ask ... can you do a course online? Online courses are now standard and brilliant. I do like to still cross into real world and work one-on-one with writers on their particular books during the courses. But working online works fairly well and it fits in with my personal mantra for writers which is:
Don't talk about your book - write it
You have to want it so hard that it hurts
‘I want to be an author’
‘I want to write a book’
These are conversations I have on a daily basis. Truthfully I am a bit tired of this messaging. Of course this is NOT what I should be saying. I should be encouraging you to write a book, right? This is my business – coaching and supporting authors.
So why am I saying this? Because you don’t know how LONG and HARD it is. I see all these ‘coaches' who tell you that you should write a book, that it will ‘build your brand.’ Hmmmmm.
What are publishers looking for this year?
Once again, we turn our attention to the publishing market and the trends shaping the upcoming cycle. For authors, understanding what readers are buying is invaluable—particularly in non-fiction, which must tap into the mood of the times. That said, a book can also spark a global trend, unleashing a new concept and capturing imaginations in unexpected ways. The “Let Them Theory,” for example, demonstrates the power of fresh ideas, amplified by podcasters, social media, and celebrity influence.
