Having moved from California back to my hometown of Newtown, CT, a few months ago, I find myself writing a few more updates to friends than usual in the form of personal emails or Facebook posts. My California friends want to know what I’m doing and it’s hard to connect regularly by phone when there … Continue reading
For three and a half years, Kenneth Stroud of the RAF was a Japanese POW during World War II, having been captured when Japan conquered Singapore and imprisoned on an Indonesian island. Ever since then, he’s lived with the memories of hunger, illness, and the brutality of a particularly cruel enemy. Amazingly, he harbors no … Continue reading
I’m not proud of it, but I’ve gone to the copy shop twice this week to get a paper version of my manuscript printed. At 400 pages and $0.10/page, it cost $40 to print once – yikes! Why can’t I just learn to edit on the computer? It just seems easier on paper. I can … Continue reading
This is a list of memoirs that I’ve read since I began writing my own memoir, as well as a few I’ve read before my project and a few that are still on my bookshelf. Some are better written than others. Recommendations welcome! Me Melvin ‘N Andy by Andy Anderson Nautilus 90 North by William … Continue reading
I was thinking as I posted my old high school reading list for English class that I should start a few lists of my own. Here’s my first attempt at a book list for one of my favorite subjects – New England! I’ll add more titles as I think of them. Adult Fiction: The Running … Continue reading
I’ve been reading memoirs ever since I started writing my own in 2011. There’s a Porcupine in My Outhouse by Michael J. Tougias turned out to be a fantastic read and I highly recommend it to anyone. Where did I find this book? I actually bought it at a gift shop in Northern New Hampshire. … Continue reading
Are the facts right? I’m almost done with my family history and have been determined throughout to make sure that I’m writing a story that accurately aligns with history and other sources of data. One of the last items that I needed to confirm was whether my uncle’s name really appeared on the various World … Continue reading
I posted a story in April about my father witnessing Igor Sikorsky’s first helicopter flight. https://kelleytjansson.com/2013/04/18/non-fiction-writing-getting-the-details-right/ My father was only a kid when he witnessed the historic flight. The problem was that he did not remember the date correctly. Fortunately, history recorded the event and I was able to confirm the date via normal research. … Continue reading
Engineering majors don’t get a lot of choice in college electives. We take what we’re told and are lucky to graduate in 5-years. On the one occasion that I remember actually having an elective without restrictions, I chose to take a class in World Literature. “We’ve never had an engineering major take an elective in … Continue reading
I was listening to a podcast about memoirs the other day. Somewhere in the dialogue the guest speaker said “…if you’re not taking a risk, then you’re not writing.” It made me think…do readers know when the writer is holding back? Do we always expect an exceptional story-line and exceptional prose to go with it, … Continue reading
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