Memoir Nation Bringing Attention, Playfulness, and Surprise to Your Writing, featuring Jeannine Ouellette
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Dec 2, 2024 Jeannine Ouellette, author of the lyric memoir "The Part That Burns" and the popular Substack "Writing in the Dark," shares her insights on enhancing the writing experience. She stresses the importance of attention, playfulness, and surprise in storytelling. Ouellette encourages writers to embrace spontaneity, grounding their narratives in vivid details to create deeper connections. The discussion also covers how community engagement through platforms like Substack can elevate a writer's journey while fostering a playful and transformative creative process.
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Exteriority in Writing
- Focus on "exteriority," or truthful observation of the external world, in writing.
- Carefully observed exterior details create organic metaphors and deeper meaning.
Writing as a Way of Living
- Writing is a way of living and making sense of the world through story.
- Attention, curiosity, playfulness, and surprise are key to profound writing and personal growth.
Embracing the Unknown
- We don't know as much as we think, and writing benefits from leaning into the unknown.
- Curiosity and attention bring our experiences and language to life on the page.
