Writing the Extraordinary You
We often feel hesitant to share our stories, believing them to be insignificant or that recounting them amounts to boasting about our achievements. However, the act of writing can be profoundly humbling. As we attempt to capture the essence of our entire lives, we become acutely aware of our own insignificance in the grand scheme of things – a mere grain of sand on a vast beach.
Yet, the lived experiences I have read on the pages of many memoirs transcend their personal significance. Those unique stories resonate because every human life is valuable and has the potential to inspire, entertain, and influence others.
Memoir Page Turner – Unlocking my Story
Many of my poems and personal essays started as simple recollections. Unlocking my story, my goal is to process the choice events and special moments into essays that are conscious of a reader.
Essay no 1. I have many stories about my mother. Taking care of her in my middle years, I often thought back to when she was in her mid-forties. In this personal essay, I recall her characteristic unique traits, and how we were during those trying moments.
Memoir Page Turner – Finding My Narrative Arc
A crucial aspect in writing the memoir is identifying a narrative arc. Is there a central conflict or challenge? How does this conflict evolve throughout the story? Is there a resolution, a moment of transformation or epiphany?
Essay no 2. My nephew’s autism is a real challenge. Once, while walking with him, I realized that our bonding extends beyond the limits of this familial relationship between aunt and nephew, but goes on to a committed pact that is asymmetrical. He will always need my help, and I should be there at all times, unconditionally.
Memoir Page Turner – Showing, Not Telling
Vivid descriptions, sensory details, and dialogue can bring our story to life.
Essay no 3. In an essay about the place my mother used to take us when we were children, her parents’ home in Malitam, Batangas City, I recall my happy childhood. But this place, once-upon-a-time the locus of our happy memories, does not anymore exist. Both man and nature have erased it,
Crafting Memorable Characters
Persons and characters populate our memoir. How do we write them in our story? We unravel their hopes, dreams, fears, and motivations as these intersect with ours. We discover how they change and grow throughout the narrative, as we ourselves evolve.
Essay no 4. In Wanted Privacy I recall the people I encountered when I was a bedspacer. I lived in different places and rented all types of spaces near my place of work. In those times of meeting and relating with persons who were in the same rented spaces, I learned a lot about myself. The saying, “Madaling maging tao, mahirap magpakatao” was tested many times during those days
Capturing the Essence of Place
When we write, we aim to capture the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that evoke strong emotions. We recall the significant spaces and places in our journey with vivid descriptions. Our goal is to transport the reader to the settings that have shaped our beliefs.
Blog. In a blog about my short travel to Ankor Wat in Cambodia, I reflect on the ancient, preserved religious structure. I pondered their significance as monuments to humanity’s desire to leave a lasting legacy.
Harnessing the Power of Dialogue
Dialogue will bring our characters to life. This fictional device can advance our memoir ‘plot’, create tension, and reveal motivations.
Poem I’ve always jotted down conversations. One particular exchange turned into a poem—a dialogue between the loved and unloved. The biblical story of Elkanah favoring Hannah over Peninnah resonated with this experience of unrequited love. Later, the inspiration led to writing of a poem entitled “Unrequited.”
Reading them again today, I realize that my essays and poems represent the many extraordinary aspects of a blessed life. My hope is that they will resonate with readers and somehow touch their lives.