Comments on: Do Other Memoir Writers Have This Experience?

By: Catherine Lanser

Catherine Lanser — Sun, 23 Sep 2018 00:16:22 +0000

Such an important lesson.Thank you for sharing. I’ll be careful to listen to what my own memories are telling me.

By: Betty Hafner

Betty Hafner — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 17:09:25 +0000

In reply to Kay Castaneda. I'm pleased to hear some of my thoughts hit home. Your book sounds like it will touch a lot of people. Good luck with the writing of the sequel.

By: Kay Castaneda

Kay Castaneda — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 04:33:27 +0000

I bought your book. I can’t wait to read it. The way you write about coming to the decìsion to leave your abusive husband by allowing long-hidden memories to surface is very emotional. I used some of my childhood memories of living with my alcoholic mother and how I had to take care of my little sisters because Mom was rarely home. I was only eleven years old. Some things are suppressed because I experience so much shame and fear when they begin to surface. Nobody would understand or care. I started to write a memoir, but it flowed out of me as a novel. The main character is young eleven year old girl. She narrates her story as it happens during one year. The same things happen to her. Writing my book allowed me to accept my past life. I’m planning a sequal of her teenage years. Thanks Betty!

By: Betty Hafner

Betty Hafner — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 16:51:01 +0000

In reply to Linda Deir. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I'm sure your honesty and courage will be appreciated by readers.

By: Linda Deir

Linda Deir — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 05:07:18 +0000

Betty… I enjoyed your comments about writing a memoir/autobiography, especially about what not to leave out. It’s the most shocking and harrowing events, told with blatant transparency, that touch the heart and/or break the heart of the reader. As an author who remembers everything back to her first memory as a baby, I broke down many times writing my autobiography, especially throughout the editing/rewriting process and even more when I narrated my story for the audiobook. There were several times during the recording when reliving my life was so painful that I had to stop and couldn’t continue for several days Had I left out some of the parts my publisher (my husband) insisted I leave in, I feel I would have cheated the reader and myself.

By: Betty Hafner

Betty Hafner — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 15:53:50 +0000

In reply to Michelle. Wishing you all the best with that, Michelle.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 13:42:23 +0000

Thanks Betty. I am going through this now while writing my memoir.

By: Betty Hafner

Betty Hafner — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 22:51:14 +0000

In reply to Nancy Chadwick. I also love hearing others talk about the memoir writing process, especially when it sometimes covers difficult subjects. Thanks for your comment.

By: Nancy Chadwick

Nancy Chadwick — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 20:21:39 +0000

Thanks for sharing your lesson learned. As a fellow memoir writer, always interested to hear what other memoir writers’ lessons are. Enjoyed reading this essay.

By: Betty Hafner

Betty Hafner — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 18:45:45 +0000

In reply to Jane Risdon. Thank you for your kind words, Jane. In my case, it was "Sometimes you don't know how much you know"!