memoirs: fiction or non-fiction

this is a good piece by Michael Larson about writing memoirs. i love the concept of writing your own history with some fiction thrown in for good measure. at my age, i certainly can't remember "exactly" what happened and when, i can only estimate some of the events based on the context of approximate periods in my life. aside from specific events that had a big impact on me, like November 22, 1963 and September 11, 2001, most life events tend to blur together. about 3-4 years ago, i was writing a story about our family Christmas morning tradition for an OASIS writing class. my description of the events was a conglomeration of many Christmases rolled into one, with some fictionalized descriptive passages thrown in for good measure. you know, the kind of verbiage that gives you a better sense of the surroundings. early, early in the morning on Christmas day, when the air is still frigid and it's still dark, how does snow sound when you're trudging thru it to get to the car to go to Christmas mass? what does your breath look like in the frosty air? are your nostrils frozen together yet?

there, do you feel cold yet? go have a cup of tea to warm up. Earl Grey. Hot.

dos and don'ts of NaNoWriMo

my friend jami sent this link to me and i just HAD to share: writing advice. it's the perfect combo of helpful, nonsensical advice mixed with humor and snarkiness. thanks, Chuck Wendig!

now, go forth and write.

blast from the past

so, i was on the phone the other night trying to resolve an issue with an order i had placed online with a scrapbooking vendor. the guy on the other end started chatting in a very friendly way, and the conversation just happened to turn to big city vs small town. and he just happens to mention Chicago and his time in the Navy. my ears perk up, and i say to him: "oh really? what years were you in the Navy?" he replies that it would have been 1964 or '65 to about 1967. i laugh, telling him those were the years i was a volunteer with the USO in Milwaukee. and how much fun i had when the guys would come to town from Great Lakes Naval Training Center. he said he, too, had come to Milwaukee and gone to the dances at .... i interrupt with "YWCA, Jewish Community Center, YMCA." i said i thought the Milwaukee USO was on Third Street just off of Wisconsin Avenue. He verbally nodded in agreement.

we chitchatted a few more minutes, and then ended the conversation. but those few minutes on the phone with a stranger brought back so many wonderful memories. because i practically lived at the USO during those years, i'm willing to bet he and i crossed paths at some point. small world, eh? the USO played a significant part in my life in the late 60's and early 70's, so i'll be talking more about it in future postings.

the name of the guy at the other end of the phone? Mark.

thanks for the memories, Mark.