WRITING TIPS FROM A PULITZER PRIZE WINNER

    Ted Kooser a native of Ames, Iowa State University graduate and descendant of the Moser family of Osterdock is the former U.S. poet laureate and Presidential Professor of the University of Nebraska. He is the author of 12 books of poetry, including the Pulitzer winning "Delights & Shadows " in 2005 and his latest collection "Valentine's" in 2008.

     Kooser encourages people to write about their families and has taught memoir-writing workshops. Here are a few of his writing tips.

+ Don't think about writing a book. That's too daunting. Write scenes from memory, little vignettes that eventually can be assembled into a book. 

+ Read other memoirs because you can learn much from how other people handl it. In my class I pass out the opening paragraphs of 40 different memoirs to see how they work.

+Be economical with words. Why spend 160 pages writing what 60 pages will do?