This Week’s #BiteSizeMemoir Prompt: Camping
THE PLAN:
I intended to spend the week reading books, swimming, stargazing, and sailing our little 12 foot boat. My sister had a tan to perfect, and fish to catch. My parents, I’m sure, simply wanted to relax.THE DISASTER:
The August sun held out until we reached the lakeside campground. First came the splats of big fat drops. This crescendoed to a steady downpour as we frantically pitched our tent.THE REALITY:
No swimming, fishing, sailing, or tanning. Instead, we told stories and read books. We played card games and Scrabble. Mom won the card games, and Dad won Scrabble every single time. Upon our return, I raced to the dictionary, convinced Dad invented several words. I still flashback to this scenario every time I see the word “fez” (with which he earned a well-deserved triple word score!)THE MEMORY:
One of the best camping trips, ever!
What is Bite Size Memoir?
Bite Size Memoir is a new writing project created by Lisa Reiter. Here’s how she describes it:
Bite size memoir is designed to help anyone record some personal memoir in small manageable bites. There’s a prompt every week and some constraints to keep it small… Feel free to dip in and out each week without commitment.
Participants are given a prompt each week, then asked to respond with either a 150 word prose/poem, or 10 statements starting with “I remember” that are triggered by the prompt. I chose the prose route this week.
This is my second time using Lisa’s memoir prompt. I had so much fun with her “Fairies and Magic” memoir prompt that I’ve decided to make this a Monday thing!
Play along with us – it’s fun!
If you would like to play along, check out Lisa’s blog Introducing the Bite Size Memoir Challenge. She posts a new memoir prompt every Friday.
Also, if you’re on Twitter, you can find other people’s posts for this week via the hashtag #bitesizememoir, and be sure to follow @Lisa_Reiter, too.
Do you write Non-fiction, Travel and/or Memoir?
Do you write non-fiction, travel, and/or memoir? I ask because most writing resources I bump into both online and off are geared towards fiction.
That’s great, but hey – non-fiction writers need support, too!
A New Weekly Blog Hop for Non-Fiction Writers
Lately I’ve been toying with the idea of leading a chat on Twitter for people who write non-fiction in all its forms. At the moment, I lead a weekly chat for ALL writers.
It’s called #StoryDam chat and we meet each Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EDT to talk about all aspects of the writing process. You’re welcome to join us! Check out the Story Dam writing community website for more information.
At one point, I even declared that I would start a weekly writing chat in the hour before #StoryDam specifically for non-fiction writers. Then I chickened out because I’ve already got so much going. What do you think? Would YOU attend a writing chat on Twitter that was geared specifically to non-fiction writers?
Add Your Post to the #NFTM Weekly Blog Hop
In the meantime, here’s my compromise: my Monday posts now include a blog hop for non-fiction writers. I’ll be using the hashtag #nftm to promote it, and I hope you will, too. I’m excited to connect with more non-fiction writers – like you!
If you write non-fiction of any sort, including travel and memoir, I invite you to add your link to the blog hop below:
Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
[…] Other Bite Size Memoirs I’ve written include: “Fairies and Magic” and “Camping.” […]
Most of the few favorite moments of my childhood had to do with camping. Wonderful #BiteSizeMemoir! Thanks for introducing me to #BiteSizeMemoir already wrote my first post! As always, love reading your blog!
Hugs!
[…] Meanwhile a huge big thank you too, to Tui Snider (couldn’t resist all those tos in there..) for ‘pitching’ me on her first Memoir Monday’s Blog Hop for non-fiction and travel writers. If your non-fiction writing extends beyond my little bites and you want to find other non-fiction projects to join in with or promote, please read more of her post and sign up to her blog Mental Mosaic! […]
Tui, first of all, I loved your bite-size camping trip memoir. Secondly, thanks for introducing me to the bitesizememoir project. I love that. Will check it out. Lastly, I’d love a nonfiction Twitter chat but if it’s on Thursdays I’m not likely to participate much since, as you know, I already miss the Storydam chat way too often because I teach Thursdays or it’s right at our dinner time.
Hi Annette,
Thank you for visiting! I hope that you will join in on the #bitesizememoir project, and that even if you don’t that you will share some of your lovely posts on the weekly #nftm blog hop.
As for a chat… If there are enough people interested – no promises but…I could possibly lead one an hour before #StoryDam Would that work better out on your end? Let me know!
I love this. These seem like so much fun that I’m tempted to join the memoir blog hop, but then I get busy and forget. Oh well. I still enjoy reading yours!
Heya Holli! Well, it *is* only 150 words. That little constraint sealed the deal for me when it came to participating in the #BiteSizeMemoir challenge. I do hope you’ll join in when the urge strikes. Thanks for dropping by! :D
This is a great idea, Tui and resolves an issue for me–I write both! And I have two blogs, one for fiction and one for creative non-fiction. I’m an Annie-Dillard-wannabe when I’m not writing fiction or about fiction. This, along with Lisa’s encouragements to write memoir suddenly creates a clearer, yet different path for what I’ve been calling, ‘my other writing.’ I’m hoping to meet other creative NF nature writers, too! Thanks!
Hi Charli,
I write both, too, although I’m concentrating more on my non-fiction these days. I can relate to being a Dillard-wannabe, too! Like her, I even used to live up in the San Juan Archipelago off Washington State.
I’m so excited to have connected here and on Twitter with you. Yea! Thank you so much for dropping by, linking up, and commenting. I think we are onto something good! :D
All I can do is “oooh and aaah” over living where Dillard lived. On my bucket list is to visit Tinker Creek in VA. I’m excited to meet up with you, too! And this really does refresh my thoughts on writing non-fiction. I’d be interested in the chat although I’ve not done so before…are the logistics just to show up at the designated time and tweet within the hashtag?
Thanks so much, Lisa! I wish we could meet for lunch. Most of my writing pals are in other time zones, alas.
This particular memory is from a camping trip I took years ago up in Idaho. The photos, though, are mostly Texas, with one from Lummi Island, Washington thrown in for good measure.
I’m glad you like #NFTM as a hashtag, and I sure hope you will add a blog post to the linky list. You can even add the linky code to the bottom of any of your own blog posts that you wish!
Thank you once again for your generous nature, Tui – I wish I could buy you lunch and have a proper old catch-up!
Love your bite too – the format and the photos are just divine! Is this in Texas?
I think #NFTM is a great idea and look forward to seeing other forms of non-fiction pop up on a Monday as well as meeting new bloggers