Writing the Memoir Cinematically: Part 2

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Backstory Post-its on a Timeline

In my previous post, I asked the question: "Does backstory have to appear chronologically in a memoir?" After searching my memoir writing books and even asking Google, I found no definitive answer. I realized I needed to ask a slightly different question: "Do the backstories 

 in my memoir need to appear in chronological order?" This question freed me to discover what might be best for writing God, the Devil, and Divorce. 

To make that decision, I first set up a chart by taping several printer pages together to create a timeline. On large pink Post-it notes I put important scenes and placed them in chronological order. I wrote backstory events on the small blue notes. Then the fun began., and up popped another consideration. Should I group the backstory events by subject matter? What would you do?

(Please watch for Part 3, coming soon.)


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