Use lots ofautobiographicaldataNopsychicsUsepassivevoiceUseclichesTell,don'tshowEmbellishthe truthHave anunwieldlystoryDon'thave anincitingincidentTry tosound"writerly"Don'thave athemeAssume yourreaderknows localeBlameothersMakeyour focusBROADWriteas thevictimNo charactertransformationWrite alongtimeframeDon'thavestory arcmake yourcharacterunsympatheticDon't haveacaptivatingplotExhibit noself-awarenessDumpback storyin chunksNosense ofplaceNothemeHavenothing toteachreaderUse lots ofautobiographicaldataNopsychicsUsepassivevoiceUseclichesTell,don'tshowEmbellishthe truthHave anunwieldlystoryDon'thave anincitingincidentTry tosound"writerly"Don'thave athemeAssume yourreaderknows localeBlameothersMakeyour focusBROADWriteas thevictimNo charactertransformationWrite alongtimeframeDon'thavestory arcmake yourcharacterunsympatheticDon't haveacaptivatingplotExhibit noself-awarenessDumpback storyin chunksNosense ofplaceNothemeHavenothing toteachreader

Carol's How to write a bad memoir - Call List

(Print) Use this randomly generated list as your call list when playing the game. There is no need to say the BINGO column name. Place some kind of mark (like an X, a checkmark, a dot, tally mark, etc) on each cell as you announce it, to keep track. You can also cut out each item, place them in a bag and pull words from the bag.


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  1. Use lots of autobiographical data
  2. No psychics
  3. Use passive voice
  4. Use cliches
  5. Tell, don't show
  6. Embellish the truth
  7. Have an unwieldly story
  8. Don't have an inciting incident
  9. Try to sound "writerly"
  10. Don't have a theme
  11. Assume your reader knows locale
  12. Blame others
  13. Make your focus BROAD
  14. Write as the victim
  15. No character transformation
  16. Write a long timeframe
  17. Don't have story arc
  18. make your character unsympathetic
  19. Don't have a captivating plot
  20. Exhibit no self-awareness
  21. Dump back story in chunks
  22. No sense of place
  23. No theme
  24. Have nothing to teach reader