The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
To be a good life story writer, I believe you have to be a good reader, especially of memoirs.
In this session, we take a look at an amazingly well-written memoir, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
We can learn so much from Walls’ writing style, her lack of judgment toward her parents, her ability to isolate a moment and turn it into an amazing scene, her attention-grabbing openings, and much more.
Let us know if you’ve read this book and, if so, what you thought about it.
Then write an attention-grabbing opening to a story and share it with us in the comments section below. Happy writing!
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January 7, 2023. Better late than not at all, sort of like the only to do this wrong….Am finally doing ‘catch-up.’
I excited, the Orange Co Library System had an available copy, audio, of the Glass Castle and I now have it. Will get copy of my own to coordinate. Eyes too bad to only read, too stressful.
Dad was speechless when Darius, a local Hutterite boy, picked up his guitar from its case to play “White Lightning” to his sixteen-year-old daughter, Julia.
Wow! Gotta investigate those Hutterites farther!
Oh, my gosh. This opening can go in so many different directions. Well done, Nancy.
“Mom! Denise! Wake up! We’re home! I wrote this beginning to not only a chapter, but the beginning of
my memoir, when a younger sister and I came home from school to find our mother and youngest sister
appearing to be asleep on the couch. As the story unfolds, it reveals something very different.
That’s a good one, Linda. My mind is going in a number of different directions, imagining what this could mean. Excellent job.
A jaw-dropping opening sentence! Ill bet not many of us can imagine ourselves in that scene. This is a challenging exercise. I will give it more thought. Perhaps a list of story grabbers will be the result.
Great idea, Kit. Am better late than not at all. Am going back through the Vlogs. Have finished The Glass Castle and loved it. I, also, like your idea of a list of story grabbers. Am going back through my past story and doing my list that way.
Another good book is Mary Higgins Clark’s memoir, Kitchen Privileges
Thank you for the recommendations, Jackie! I’ll add to my intended reading list this summer.
It definitely is. Put a few of your thoughts on paper, Kit. They will evolve on the page.
I have not read the book yet, but it us sitting on top of my desk.
Make some time to read it. The investment is worth it. She’s an amazing writer. She’s will be doing a breakout session at the Amelia Island Festival in February 2023. I plan on being there because I’ve been waiting a long time to meet her.
I might start it today. Taking a break from editing.