The Novelist's Approach to Memoir: Revolutionize Your Life Writing
Flight School's guide to crafting non-fiction that reads like your favorite page-turner
Are you writing your life story in the dark? Discover how to shine a light on your most pivotal moments. In this Exclusive Writing Lab, learn to craft an inciting incident that launches your memoir with the power of a bestselling novel. Step out of the shadows and into the spotlight of masterful storytelling.
(🎧Audio of post past paywall)
Welcome into Flight School:
As you may or may not know, I was in Paris for the last ten days teaching creative writing to a collective of hard working, patient, and smart international writers. They didn’t know me, I didn’t know them, and while I did provide them with a whole raft of video teachings and guidance on my Scene, Exposition and Progression teaching, it was still a steep learning curve. Creative non-fiction takes years to teach, study, and practice. We got in and out in five days and a total of fifteen hours. That’s not much. In many ways, this workshop was a tease, a flirt, a handshake. Then came the panels talking about process, sustainability, and inspiration, as well as use of social media and platforms, and finally a grand finale of reading aloud and giving the writers a big round of applause for their time and efforts.
To everyone who studied with me, and to the Paris Writers Workshop (Ellen, Meredith, Sara, Angie, Susan, and Jay), as well as the other terrific teachers (Lan Samantha Chang, Kevin Brockmeier, Diane Lake, and Don George): Thank you!
While traveling, I dropped two chapters of The Summer of ‘72 here on Flight School:
Chapter 13: The Most Dangerous Person on Earth
The moment of impact, also known as the inciting incident, has now taken place. Seeding that moment of impact is here in Chapter 12 when Jennifer finally talks to her young daughter, Jo:
“Can you tell me what happened?” I ask.
“You mean about the throwing up?”
“Yeah. Just tell me the one, two, three of it.”
This is another one of her [Jo’s] games. One, two, three is how we move through the more difficult conversations that upset her. Anything heavy or intense like getting into a fight with Spencer and having to explain who did and said what, or breaking a dish, or telling a fib, and Jo shuts down.
“One, Daddy dropped me at the house,” she says now. “Two, I didn’t feel good, so Rick stuck seeds on my ears. Three, I threw up.”
“Wait. Hold on,” I say, look at the window across the way. “He used seeds on you?”
“I didn’t want them, Mommy,” Jo says. “I said no lots of times. Lots.”
I stare into the space before me. In my bones, a feeling like I’ve been immersed in an icy lake.
“Mommy?” Jo says. “Are you there?
“Yes,” I say, my voice a whisper now. A wire of memory tripped. I said no. I said no.
In case you miss this, I repeat (with variation) this “moment of impact” twice more in Chapter 13. First when talking on the phone with Steve, and later when once more on the phone with Jo to get more specific details:
“She told him no.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Look, when you get Jo, have her call me. I need to hear her voice.”
&
When talking to Jo again, this time while she was with Steve, we went through what had happened in those minutes between her having a tummy ache and throwing up.
“I said no,” she said.
“How many times?” I asked her.
“Lots,” she said.
“Can you be more precise? Four? Ten?”
“Why do you keep asking me that?”
Because I remember saying no, too, Jo, I could have said but only years and years later. At that time, I didn’t carry a coherent memory in the logical part of my brain. I asked because my body did have the count though. My body had long been keeping the score.
All this is a kind of telescoping of the story for the reader, highlighting the fact (through varying repetition) that this saying “no” is a crucial moment.
Inciting Incident Defined:
“Typically, this incident will upset the balance within the main character’s world,” according to Writing 101.
For me, the inciting incident, coming after the hook and set up of a story have been established, creates a mini-drama of reaction within the protagonist and in effect, launches the true story…
I hate paywall’s as much as anyone else but I hope you consider becoming a paid subscriber. If Flight School is worth the price of a cup of coffee (per month), join us on the other side with my thanks. If you are already paid, well…thank you so so much. You’re support helps me continue.