Writing Memoir—Creative Lying is a Source of Pride!
An Interview with Lawana L. Perry, M.Ed. Southern memoir writer and educator Lawana L. Perry, M.Ed. offers tremendous insight into the writer’s mind. I asked eight questions about her experience as a writer and found her answers surprisingly open and honest. However, her most refreshing answers focus on her detachment from traditional “see spot run” advice. Ms. Perry points out some of her specific processes and secrets to writing. She has found her voice. She has found a way to connect with her audience in a way that expresses not only her voice but also the cadence, timbre, and meter of her characters. Ms. Perry’s favorite writer is Eudora Welty, whom she credits with learning about
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I write for myself first. An artist always performs for herself first. For me, in order to write, it cannot be on the side. Writing is a responsibility; therefore, it is life itself. My biggest frustration with people today is that they live unconsciously with little or no attention span. There is so much external stimuli. Many people have not developed the skills to calm themselves and read. Many would rather watch the film or television version of a story—so much is missed because they won’t spend the time.
What is the key to writing memoir? The key for me is to remove all of the normal boundaries: Self-criticism and self-doubt have no place while I am writing. I take the critic out of the room because there are no limits or boundaries when I write. I let the story spin out without anything to block its birth.
What stops you when you write? Nothing stops me. If there is a story in me, it has a right to live. I honor these stories. I learned many years ago as a student of Dr. Tom Absher to treat the finished product as a life unto itself. Therefore, completed works are kept in beautiful individual binders—Each story deserves a beautiful place to