A memoir might be considered to be a "case study" of life. The memoir story is more than just an accounting of events. Rather, the memoir digs deep into a part of life dissecting it for the readers and exposing the soft underbelly to often leave the subject highly vulnerable. This life story examines thoughts, emotions, motivations, and reactions along with the who, what, when, and why of the story. The case is made and the reader is given a task of being the judge, jury, and analyst when the story delves deep enough.
Many who have cared for aging parents, disabled children, or dying spouses have amazing and often heart-breaking stories to tell readers. The stories can be filled with many hardships and personal triumphs that can encourage others who face similar life struggles. Stories of caring can show the best as well as the worst of humanity, These are stories that can make excellent studies for memoir.
The tragedy of carelessness can have far-reaching repercussions that can affect many lives and tell a story from which others can learn. Careless behavior can be the cause of accidents, personal ruin, and destructive lifestyle. A story about carelessness should teach readers about what to avoid in their own lives and what to watch out for in the lives of those around them. A memoir that involves carelessness hopefully takes a turn for the positive in the end, but when there is no positive outcome then some lesson should be imparted to the reader.
What kinds of carelessness can you think of that might lead to an intriguing memoir story? Can you think of a memoir that is centered about carelessness? Have you been a caretaker for someone who was unable to care for themselves?
A well-written memoir can be a building block for the reader for sure. Inspirational and informative. I enjoy reading about what is near and dear to an author's heart. I have a number of carelessness subjects I could write about but then I'm not sure I am willing, just yet, to let those monsters out of the closet.
ReplyDeleteBushman
2015 A to Z Challenge Ambassador
@jwb81074
Not often something most of us care to admit. I have mine too, but I don't know how worthy they are for memoir telling and I'd rather keep them to myself for now anyway.
DeleteLee
Someone who survived after a mountain climbing accident is a good example. Like I loved 'Into Thin Air' by Jon Krakauer. While it certainly wasn't their fault that the blizzard descended on the mountain, I think overall there was a great deal of carelessness taken by the climbing teams that caused everyone to get stuck on Hillary Step, making the ascension and descension take far longer than it should've. Everyone would've been back in their tents at Camp 4 when the snowstorm hit.
ReplyDeleteExcellent example. Sometimes our screw-ups can have tragic consequences, but they can also act as a lesson to others.
DeleteLee
We're showcasing a new memoir from author Susie Kinslow Adams all this month at www.bestauthorinterviews.com - it about Susie's journey caring for her elderly mother. It's called My Mother, My Child. It's a fascinating book and offers tips for others who must care for an elderly parent or disabled family member, etc. I think memoir is so powerful in that it helps both the writer and the reader.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne
A to Z Blogging Challenge Participant
www.writingforchildrencenter.com
www.creativecaravanclub.com
That's a great memoir topic that I'll be touching on later. Thanks for your visit.
DeleteLee
I really like this information. I never thought about doing a memoir because who wants to read about a nobody? But the part about teaching others what to avoid because of choices made (careless behavior, a destructive lifestyle) very convicting. I will put this information in the back of my head file. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to reading more. :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes carelessness about one thing reveals a deep care for something else!
ReplyDeleteAnother relevant post Arlee. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a writing course friend who just published her first book, a memoir about her family dealing with her mother's ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). It's getting many 5-star ratings and is obviously touching heartstrings. It's called "Ruthie: A Family's Struggle with ALS" by Lynn Miclea. I never thought of Carelessness as a catalyst for memoir writing but it sure can be. The first thing that came to my mind was a story of the lives ruined by the carelessness of texting while driving. Good post Lee.
ReplyDeleteMichele at Angels Bark
Lots of drug and alcohol abuse stories would fit into the "carelessness" category, though many are often struggling to deal with other types of pain. Another book that seems to play on the care/carelessness dichotomy is one I discovered on another A-to-Z-er's blog. It's not a memoir, but a true crime discussion called Columbine. (You can read about it on Cheney's blog here: https://blogapocalypse.wordpress.com/2015/04/03/c-is-for-columbine/)
ReplyDeleteI never would have considered carelessness and the repercussions as the seque into a story that could benefit others. This is a good way to dig deep into your raw emotions and like one of the other commenters said, I can think of several topics related to my carelessness that I could write about. The other person said she wasn't ready to let those monsters out of the closet. I have to take that a step further and admit that I don't have the courage to face those monsters. Wow, Arlee, just reading these posts is making my mind travel to all sorts of places . Some are long ago, some not too long ago , some nostalgic and happy and yet others are actually bringing me to tears . I must be in an emotional mood right now. Great , my hubby's gonna tell me it must be getting close to that time of the month . TMI - sorry
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