For my books, article, and essays I have interviewed scores of people who possessed information, or perspectives I have needed to successfully write my stories. I have interviewed women who served time in prison, police officers, victims of rape, rapists,…
My forthcoming book The Strong Black Woman How A Myth Endangers The Physical and Mental of Black Women is written in a style I have come to call “communal memoir.” This is a narrative that incorporates interviews, conversations, dialogues, meditations,…
How to Write a Memoir Part Four Write Like a Novelist There is a saying about writing, of which there are many variations, “All stories are true, even those that are imagined.” When I write a novel I am creating…
When you are writing a memoir you are writing a story. A story is a narrative-driven by action, drama, conflict, strong characters, and an arc of gradual transformation for the main character (you). The best stories enlarge you as you…
It was my pleasure to work with Sadeqa Johnson when she attended Hurston/Wright Writer’s week several years ago. Sadeqa was a star writer in a strong class of writers. Her new novel Yellow Wife is a historical novel inspired by…