I’ve heard of a project that is working toward automating writing. The dream is to create the equivalent of a ghostwriter. Considering most of those writers won’t work for less than $4,000, there’s room for something more affordable.
Personal narratives are a sweet spot. Nonfiction is a different animal than fiction, but what makes personal narrative a good read (something your relatives will finish, mostly) is your personal experiences within it.
“When I went to Mumbai, they put milk in my eggs right in front of me. It showed me how different the place was from the humble beginnings of my apple pie childhood. Those eggs were delicious at first, then later they gave me a worry. Would I get sick?”
You insert tension, reference backstory, plus work hard for surprise. It’s not just eggs in India.
If your eyes are rolling at that sample, you’re just like the family member who won’t finish the book. Somebody’s got to reel in the detail there. “What’s The Point of This Trip” is the question you answer over and over in any personal narrative. Autobiography has more facts and stays chronological. Memoir has more expression and can jump around in time.
If the point of such a story’s trip is something like “I saved that platoon,” you’re not as rich as if you add, “and I sacrificed [this thing] to perform that bravery.” Only Joe Friday is always happy with just the facts.
William Zissner has a book called On Writing Well. It went into its 25th year edition awhile back. It’s an essential for journalists. Autobiographers become journalists about their own lives. Details are important. They taught us in journalism school to not only write about dog bites man, but also, get the name of the dog. The distinctions between stories are what makes them moving and memorable.
Automated systems will be like editors and authors. They will wrestle with the question of “How much do you need?” It’s the most human factor in storytelling. When we told stories in front of cave fires, we watched the other humans’ faces. Are they still with me? Can’t do that now, using these digital tools. So somebody decided that 50,000 words was the right length at the bottom end of the memoir. Until that wasn’t enough, because the material was too rich. They still had the crowd, even after the 50K.
