My book review of Dinty W. Moore’s Crafting the Personal Essay
In my investigation of “alternative” styles of writing, including everything “flash,” I came across a book edited by Dinty W. Moore called The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction. I was impressed with Moore’s introduction to that publication, so I bought Crafting the Personal Essay, which is the book I’m reviewing here.
I write for online platforms, including this website, two other blogs and Hub Pages (and, previously, Squidoo). Many of my articles are written in a personal essay style but, now that I’m semi-retired, I want to get better at telling my stories and speaking my truth.
Sometimes my “truth” is an honest review of my vintage Corningware. Other times, it’s a more-or-less channeled piece of writing on my former blog “What Life Wants.” I’ve even written the saga of Carlotta the spiny orb weaver spider. And my efforts are pretty good.
But I want to improve as a writer. I want to make a difference as a writer. I want to be known as a writer.
So I read books about perfecting my craft and I learn about the different ways to get my views across. For example, I really enjoy writing 6-word memoirs and have taken a closer look at this genre on my review page for It All Changed in An Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. Here’s one: “Good Writer Striving to be Great.” Try writing your life story in 6 words. It’s fun!
Dinty Moore’s Crafting the Personal Essay opened my eyes to the scope available for writers in the personal essay genre. I hadn’t realized that I could elaborate on my travel and recipe articles to make them feel more like literature. They call it “creative nonfiction” nowadays.
I like that essays can be quite short, as in the case of flash nonfiction. I like that they can ramble in an exploratory, investigative way. I like that they can lead me to conclusions I might not have considered previously. I like that they explore – me.
From Contemplative to Gastronomical…
Moore includes chapters on the various types of personal essays:
Memoir
Contemplative
Lyric
Humorous
Spiritual
Gastronomical
Travel
Nature
I have recipe pages online that I’d like to bump up to the “gastronomical essay” level. On the other hand, they might also fall into the “memoir” group, since a couple of the recipes were handed down from my Finnish grandmother.
That’s the type of information I’ve been learning in Crafting the Personal Essay. So I’m into rewrite mode and allowing myself to travel down winding roads searching for the nugget that’s to be found somewhere along the way.
I love what Dinty Moore says about revising our writing: It’s not uncommon for me to be six or seven drafts into an essay before I realize, “Aha, that’s what this essay is going to be about.”
Inner Explorations Made Public
Moore’s writing style is easy and clear. The writing exercises sprinkled through the book urge us to dig deeper into our emotions and rememberings. What stopped the clock for us way back when… why do we have trouble remembering what it was? What was that issue really about? Is it time to speak/write about it now?
In his chapter on memoir essays, the author poses many questions for consideration and deeper probing, including “What are you most afraid of?” and “What as a child did you totally misunderstand, but now as an adult see very differently?” Probing, probing, probing.
That’s what writers do.
Dinty W. Moore’s book was, for me, an excellent introduction to the writing of good personal essays. His reminders to revise, revise, revise… and his instructions on becoming an excellent rewriter I found very helpful.
He suggests writing initially with a “child” attitude, playing with ideas and words just to see what develops. Then allow the “adult” in you to ask some tough questions, such as what’s your point here and who will be interested in this. Then at the very end of your revisions, invite your “parents” in to see if your piece will embarrass them or make them proud. But don’t ask for your “inner parent” reviews until you’re done editing.
My Review of It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure
I’m a (pre) baby-boomer and, last spring as I approached my 69th birthday, I got a little nostalgic and started looking up books on memoir writing. Not that I wanted to write an actual book about my life story, but I was looking for ways to get some of my thoughts, experiences and philosophy across in shorter, alternative ways.
My Kindle and Amazon Prime make book buying easy, so I searched “memoir” keywords and purchased The Power of Memoir as a paperback and three more books on writing memoirs and life stories for my Kindle.
Of course, Amazon always gives you more options when you search for a keyword. So I looked at their recommendations.
And what came up for me – and delighted me immensely – wasIt All Changed In An Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure. I ordered it right away, because I loved the idea of encapsulating entire thoughts and events in six words. It requires discipline, creativity and the courage to speak truth without hiding behind obfuscations and embellishments.
Begun as a project of Smith Magazine in 2006, the concept of explaining your life in six words caught on quickly and spread like wildfire, aided by Twitter posts especially. According to Smith Magazine, almost 1 million submissions have been received, many of which have made their way into print, as the series of books keeps expanding. In fact, if you feel inspired to try a few six-worders yourself, you can submit them on the Six-Word Memoirs website.
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The Six Word Memoir books are slightly addictive – and fun!
I’ll eventually order the other books in the 6-word memoir series, but there are so many good ones in this book that I still have fun just opening it at random and reading the 10 pithy memoirs on each two-page spread. A number of submissions even came with their own graphics; the ones chosen for the book range from hilarious to heart-wrenching… and are very much to the point.
In this book are 6-word memoirs by famous people, including Gay Talese (Friendship test: willingness to be inconvenienced) and Malcolm Gladwell (Father: “Anything but journalism.” I rebelled.) and regular people like us.
You can preview some of the 6-word memoirs yourself by visiting the book’s page on Amazon, which gives the history of the project and some humdinger memoirs by people you’ve heard of… or not. Published in 2010, this book follows Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure, which came out in 2008.
If you love to write and love a challenge… it’s worth taking a peek inside the book(s) to inspire yourself to give it a try. I’ve come up with a few of my own already.
The Moment is about life-changing stories of 125 writers and artists… and me.
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Do you recall “the moment” in your past when something so significant happened that it was literally life-changing? If so, you’ll enjoy the 125 stories in The Moment, a book of “wild, poignant, life-changing stories from 125 writers and artists famous and obscure.”
In this book, edited by Larry Smith (of 6-Word Memoirs fame), 125 writers and artists submitted (very) short stories of a moment or an event that instantly changed their lives. Usually it was an awakened awareness caused by an unexpected event, an illness, the death of a loved one or a life-broadening experience.
Mary Elizabeth Williams takes us on a journey into her mind the day she gets the phone call that tells her she has cancer. In a single paragraph, while worrying about a writing deadline, Williams travels from “I guess this means I could die pretty soon” to “But who will pick up the kids at camp?”
Haylee Harrell describes the afternoon recess at school during which she learns that people can hate you because of the color of your skin.
Michael Castleman remembers the evening his mother refused to make supper because she was reading a book. He explains that his mother was devoted to the family, served meals like clockwork and never changed her routine… until she started reading Leon Uris’s Exodus. That’s when Michael recognized that books could take over your life while you are immersed in them. That’s when he decided to become a writer.
Hope Rehak recalls a day familiar to many of us. She was just twelve years old on 9/11 and wondered why her parents were glued to the television set. She can still hear the words they said to her: “They have to find someone to blame.” And she tries to hide under the blankets where the new world can’t touch her yet.
The Moment contains 125 stories of real people feeling their way through something they weren’t expecting, whether it was the event itself or their reaction to it. You can read more “moments” at SmithMag.net… and even submit stories of your own.
In fact, the book inspired me to look at my own life-changing moment. Here it is:
When I began my studies at a metaphysical center years ago, I had to take some of what was taught on faith. A portion of the material was so far outside my experience that, while I could intellectually get what they were saying, I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.
Until I did. See it. With my eyes wide open.
I was taking beginner classes, but many of my fellow students were way ahead of me in clairvoyant abilities. I’m still not particularly clair-anything many years later, but once in a while I’ll see or hear something that shoots my understanding to another level.
Like the first time I saw a purple head hovering next to my teacher.
All during our 2-hour class, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the large purple head floating slightly above and to the right of Karen, our course instructor. Karen was almost 6 feet tall, so seeing this apparition that high above her was quite remarkable. And the head itself was a slightly odd shape, larger on top by a considerable amount.
When I asked about the purple head after class, Karen cleared up the mystery. She told me that I was seeing her spirit guide, Abdullah, who wore a turban and always came through in the color purple. His head was so far off the ground because she always saw him sitting on a “flying carpet.”
This explained the strange shape on top of his head and the reason he was riding so high in the room.
Abdullah’s purple head was my first clear-seeing episode and by far the most dramatic. It helped that the details were verified by a trusted, highly clairvoyant teacher.
After you witness something that “isn’t possible,” you can’t unwitness it.
Now I knew for certain that other dimensions are filled with life and that they intersect with our own spaces and times.
What a springboard for an expanded viewpoint of Life… and a perspective that stretches to eternity.
Even now, I can see Abdullah’s head as clear as day, when I think about that first time. And it still blows me away.
What’s your life-changing story?
What story would you write for posterity? As Larry Smith says in his introduction to the book, “These stories hit us where we live.”
When I showed this story to my son, he was surprised because I’d never told him about it before. Until I started writing this post and saw myself sitting in class staring at Abdullah’s purple turbaned head, I’d almost forgotten the impact it had on my understanding of the multi-dimensionality of life. What I knew before was nothing compared to what I could glimpse behind the door that was just starting to open before my eyes.
The 125 stories in this book each have outstanding moments like this. And you can’t stop reading them. Even when it’s past your bed-time and you know you have to get up for work the next morning. They make you think… and remember. And think some more.
My name is Barbara Casey, formerly “The Tutorial Lady.” I’m a firm believer in creating a credible, useful niche for your home-based business… and this page is my “soapbox” where I explain in some detail why I feel so strongly about niche marketing for home businesses.
Years ago, I read two books that really influenced my thinking on how home business owners could best make a splash in the business world. One book was called Focus by Al Ries and the other was Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout.
After digesting their concepts, I followed up by reading many more books and articles on the subject of niche marketing… and how to create a powerful niche that you could stand behind and become well known for. As for myself, I made modest strides with my “tutorial lady” niche and even have three Kindle books to show for it. Right now, I’m refocusing my writing in other directions, but will still make the effort to figure out where my new niche lies.
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines a niche as “a place, employment or activity for which a person is best fitted.” A business niche, then, is a commercial means of livelihood involving work that you are completely suited for, that you feel “at home” doing. Finding the right niche allows you to “live your real life” doing work you love.
(1) Creating a niche requires you to narrow your business focus
Unless you’re by nature a highly focused person, you’ve probably looked into a number of different ways to earn a living as an independent business owner. You can see the possibilities in quite a few of these business opportunities and hesitate to give up the chance of making extra income. But… what do you call yourself on your business card?
A niche helps you simplify your business.
(2) Some people think a niche might be boring
Limiting your business to one thing doesn’t sound too exciting. You have varied interests, talents and skills and you want to engage in them, but having a business niche sounds like you’ll be doing the same thing day in and day out. That’s why creating the right niche is important.
Your ideal niche will make use of your skills and talents in an occupation for which you have a passion.
(3) A niche requires tough choices
Committing yourself to becoming known for one thing means letting other business go. You may have sidelines you’ve been nurturing or paying clients who fall outside your niche. You might even have to change your business name so it stands for the “one thing” you’ve chosen to become known for.
You want to become well-known for your niche… as famous as Amos and his cookies or as identifiable as Stephen King and horror novels. But this takes thought and action. For example:
You need to be clear about your business purpose.
You need to create a focus for your business that tells prospects what you stand for. This involves deciding what to eliminate and what to keep from your current business operation.
You need to pinpoint, or target, your clientele.
You need a business name describing your focus.
You need to communicate your uniqueness to prospects and clients in a way that sticks in their minds.
6 Ways a Niche Can Boost Your Business Income
A niche builds confidence. Niches are often based on your area of expertise. If your area of expertise is also the work you love to do, you’ve probably spent a lot of time and money in educating yourself and in perfecting your skills. Building a business around a subject you’ve mastered gives you more confidence when taking your message to the marketplace. “Sideline” businesses don’t have the same impact, because they are not where your strengths lie.
A niche makes you credible to prospects. People are more likely to trust the work of a small business specialist than a small business generalist. Prospects looking to purchase a product or service don’t want “okay.” They want the best they can afford. Achieving mastery in a specific area gives depth and focus to your business. If you’re a one-person operation, breadth just isn’t believable.
A niche helps you become known more quickly. If you direct your marketing efforts repeatedly to the same group of people, you will become known more quickly. If you communicate a clear business focus to this same group, they are more likely to remember you when they have a need for your product or service.
A niche reduces your marketing costs. When you “target” your marketing to a specific group, you no longer have to worry about marketing to the “universe” through generalized ads. Tailoring your marketing to people who already have a need for your product or service means you won’t waste money on marginal prospects. Your cost per lead is reduced.
A niche can increase your income. People are happy to pay specialists more than they pay generalists. If you are known as an expert in your field, you can command higher fees. You will be worth these higher fees if you can solve a client’s problem more efficiently, quickly or conveniently than someone with less mastery.
A niche turns competitors into referral sources. Once you decide to specialize in a specific area, you eliminate a number of competitors. If your competitors don’t provide the same service you do, they are more likely to refer clients who can best be served by your area of expertise. You can return the favor for those needing services outside your niche.
How many times did you watch the Pride and Prejudice mini-series when it aired on the A&E television network back in the 1990s? I mean… it was some of the best BBC TV ever imported into the U.S.
And if you’re of the female gender, can you still see Colin Firth emerging from his swim in the lake, with that clingy wet shirt sticking to his well-muscled chest?
Amazing how some scenes stay with us like that.
Did you run out and buy the DVD as soon as it was available so you could watch all 6 episodes again and again… and again, whenever the fancy struck you?
What! Well, neither did I.
I just figured I could watch it again on television. Except in 2005, another version of Pride and Prejudice came out with Keira Knightley… and that’s the version that keeps playing over and over on TV.
All I could do after that was wonder, “What did they do with the real Mr. Darcy?”
So, in 2011, my Blockbuster video store announced they were closing and started selling off all their stock. I immediately grabbed up Rocky Horror Picture Show and (ta-da) the A&E 2-DVD set of the original BBC mini-series of Pride and Prejudice. Now I can watch all 6 episodes whenever I want to be uplifted by excellence in… oh, heck… whenever I need a Colin Firth fix.
The “real” Darcy and Elizabeth
I was pleased to see that Amazon is offering the restored edition of Pride and Prejudice with almost 6 hours of high quality television… ah, heck, who am I kidding… hours and hours of Colin Firth. Though, Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet is pretty special, too. For me, it’s tough to imagine Lizzie and Darcy portrayed by anyone other than Ehle and Firth.
Just click on the graphic above if you’d like to read more about the remastered version of Pride and Prejudice on DVD. I’ve got what’s called “The Special Edition” as it was shown originally on TV. From the reviews, it sounds like the restored edition gives a better sound and picture quality than the version I have.
If you like British espionage books, I think you’ll enjoy the Charlie Muffin mysteries by Brian Freemantle. Many reviewers call Brian Freemantle one of the top espionage writers today… possibly one of the best of all time. Some say he’s on a par with John LeCarre. I’d tend to agree. I just finished the latest in the Charlie Muffin series and I’m so glad Freemantle “revived” the Muffin books, which seemed doomed after the cold war ended.
The first book in the Charlie Muffin series – Charlie M – was published in 1977. The 10th in the series just after the end of the cold war, in 1993. Freemantle added three more books to the series between 1996-2002 and then… nothing… until 2010, when Red Star Rising came out.
The newest (and last) in the series is Red Star Falling and veteran MI5 agent Muffin is back in form, thwarting the higher-ups, staying alert to dangers from all comers, including those who should be protecting his back and, as always, doing what he thinks is right. You don’t think of a spy as limping around with hammertoes in hush puppy shoes, but that’s the charm of Charlie Muffin. He’s “everyman” with an trapdoor memory and a bag of old-school tricks that keep him safe and the country secure.
The plots can get pretty intricate (which I love) and there’s not much shoot-em-up activity (which I also appreciate)… just a story you can immerse yourself in and a character you easily learn to love. Muffin’s kind of special that way.
Red Star Burning was a major cliff-hanger. I just finished Red Star Falling and it’s the kind of book I love. The intricacies of espionage are highlighted with three groups of spymasters trying to best one another. No one was shot in this book… but I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. And the ending left another loose thread to be tied up by Charlie Muffin… this time a highly personal one.
Charlie Muffin Mysteries in Order:
The early Charlie Muffin books are getting to be collectors’ items. But, luckily they’re available for Kindle e-readers.
My library had them all, so you might look there, too. I’d start with the first book Charlie M because you’ll want some of the cold war history… especially if you’re under 50 and don’t have a feel for that particular political climate.
If you haven’t tried the Three Pines/Chief Inspector Armand Gamache detective fiction series yet, you’re in for a treat. The characters become old friends and the village of Three Pines feels like home (a place I’d love to live in).
If you choose to come along for the ride, you’ll meet Quebec Provincial Police Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife Reine-Marie, Gamache’s police side-kick Jean-Luc Beauvoir, and the cast of characters who somehow found the tiny village of Three Pines… an enchanting place that doesn’t appear on any map.
Each book adds to the characters’ stories and makes you feel like you’re living “real life” with them. Get to know artists Clara and Peter Morrow, Myrna, the psychologist-turned-bookstore-owner, Ruth the famous (but cranky) poet, and Bistro owners Gabri and Olivier. Each has a story, each evolves or regresses, as Louise tells their tales.
And somewhere in there, crimes are solved, music is made, art is created and people are fed. The place is magical; the people are like family. I want to move there.
Chief Inspector Gamache books listed in order:
You could read the Gamache series out of order if you wished, but the location of Three Pines grows on you with each reading and it’s kind of nice to follow the events of your friends there as they happen.
As an Amazon associate and Clarke Courses affiliate, I earn a fee from qualifying purchases. My Senior Side Hustle is designing for a print on demand site called Zazzle. I receive a royalty on my designs when you click a link to purchase on Zazzle.com. Thanks for visiting… I hope you found the info on my website helpful. –Barbara
In my investigation of “alternative” styles of writing, including everything “flash,” I came across a book edited by Dinty W. Moore called The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction. I was impressed with Moore’s introduction to that publication, so I bought Crafting the Personal Essay, which is the book I’m reviewing here.
