The Tao of Memoir Writing: Part 6

This is the sixth in a series of six posts by Matilda Butler.

When my children were small, I took them on short walks in nearby wooded areas. As they got older, I showed them the pleasures of hiking the trails of Yosemite National Park and other places of beauty. No matter where we went as a family or how easy or how hard the path, they loved to dash ahead to seek new adventures. Parental pace was much too slow for them. They ran ahead and then came back quickly. They wore themselves out by covering each distance twice. But that was part of their enthusiasm.

Reflecting on the different paces we manage at different times in our lives, consider this sixth and last Tao of Memoir Writing:

The child in us runs ahead on the path with boundless energy. The seasoned scout cautiously leads the way.

In writing, we tell others of delights or dangers, yet we are the same person.

There is more than one storyteller in each of us. We should let each of these voices come to the fore at different times to help others understand the many textures of our lives.

TAO OF MEMOIR WRITING TIP: Writing about a time of passionate youthfulness? Try using short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs. You will convey some of the boundless energy of that period. Writing about a period of aging or time spent caring for your elderly parents? See if longer sentences and paragraphs better reflect the slowness of those experiences.

If you think about music, recall that there are fast passages and slow passages. Similarly, words create a tempo for the reader and the memoirist controls this by varying the length of the sentences and paragraphs.

TAO OF MEMOIR WRITING PROMPT: Find a paragraph in a memoir that is particularly vivid for you. Analyze it: Count the number of sentences. Count the number of words in each sentence. Do several long sentences follow each other? Are short sentences used to create impact?

Then rewrite the paragraph. Try making long sentences short. Make short sentences long. You can do this by combining sentences or by cutting some in half. How do the changes alter the rhythm of the story? Which do you like better?

In what ways will you use the craft of writing to show: “The child in us that runs ahead on the path with boundless energy. The seasoned scout that cautiously leads the way.”

by Matilda Butler

Dropped Chops, Salmonella Speculations, and the High School Hypothesis

I love urban myths. Few things get me more excited than fanatically hunting down questionable Facebook memes and skimming the latest Snopes updates for the truth, whether it’s the high price tag of Hillary’s designer jacket or
the impending invasion of sea lice.

There are many questionable claims out there, hitting us from all sides. But there is often little credible evidence to support them. So today, when I came across an article on CNN about scholarly research on the validity of the 5 Second Rule, I had to put down my lemon biscotti. And. Read.

Most of us are familiar with the 5 Second Rule. We triumphantly announce it when we drop a piece of food on the floor, then proceed to eat it. “Still good! Five second rule!” The reasoning is that if the food stays in contact
with the floor for fewer than five seconds, germs have no time to attach themselves. The 5 Second Rule has been a unifying mantra that knew no color or creed, until recently, when CNN ruined it for us all. Apparently, we have
all been wrong. Our claims have been unfounded. And guess who we have to thank for it?

A high school student named Jillian Clarke.

Yes–this urban myth, the origins of which have erroneously been credited to Julia Child, was brought into question by a high school student. After Clarke’s initial research, a study was conducted in 2007 through Clemson
University, which backed up Clarke’s findings, and then was again confirmed by another study last year in the UK. The study outcomes were the same, and I do take some liberties in summary: if it hits the floor, it’s no good.

What is the moral of the story here? There are many possibilities, but what resonated with me is that this urban myth has been debunked because a high school student had the gumption to question something that didn’t sound
right. She questioned it, then set about to prove whether her questions were merited.

Not only should you remember this story when you drop your food on the floor, but you should remember it when you conduct research for your writing. You will likely come across all sorts of articles, texts, and claims that sound similar to this: someone says something is true, and you believe it, even if something deep down inside thinks it’s fishy.

Listen to that little voice. Listen, even if means that you have to go back and do more research. Don’t plug the first thing that sounds intellectual or unique into your writing without vetting it. Be sure you understand
everything you’ve read and that it makes sense. Be Jillian. Be brave enough to say, “Maybe I should do more research…”

Be brave enough to question everything you read, because sometimes the experts haven’t caught up to the common sense-driven writer, and sometimes YOU may be the only one who questions the propaganda.

Be brave, and leave the food on the floor.

Lisa Hacker supervises a community college writing center where she finds immense joy in helping students become better writers. She also teaches writing at a local university. She lives in Texas with her husband, David, and has three adult children. She is also the grandmother to Julia and Graham. Recently she started a new writing business, The Queen’s English. Visit her website.