True confession: I used to laugh at my mother for her constant list-making. She loved those long, narrow “list-size” tablets. There was always a grocery list in our kitchen, of course. But she’d keep lists of all sorts of things right there on the counter, too. It was a place to jot […]
Old-Fashioned Sayings
The Legacy of Old-Fashioned Sayings . . . . I remember standing in the kitchen while my mother was cooking. If she wanted us to pitch in and help, she’d nudge: “Make yourself useful as well as beautiful!” That meant, jump in here and start chopping! It just made […]
Try a Virtual Family Reunion!
Used to be, family reunions were a great way to reconnect with folks you hadn’t seen in a while. And reunions were a fun way to collect some great family history, too! Sadly, “social distancing” has changed all that. For now, at least, cruise ship get-togethers and globe-trotting gatherings […]
Falling Down & Getting Up Again: More Memoir Tips
We’ve all had a few hard landings. Usually, those seem to arrive just when we thought we had things alllll figured out. You know. Just when we were absolutely, positive certain this was the right direction, or the right person, or the right job. That’s when Life steps in to slap us upside the head […]
Memoir Tips Just for Labor Day: What Did Your Ancestors Do?
Did you know that Labor Day got its start in 1894? It was a “workingman’s holiday,” back when a typical job meant 12-hour days, 7 days a week. Ugh. Just think of that. But jobs or occupations can make a great entry point for a memoir! So, […]
Brother, Brother – A Memoir Journey
Some American soldiers in Vietnam never came home. Some came home, but were never the same. Rich Duffy joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1964 at the age of 18, and was sent to the front as a Forward Observer – one of the most traumatizing and dangerous posts imaginable. Then while deep in the jungles, […]
Capturing Oral History
Oral history is a rich source of family and local information. But it’s an incredibly fragile source. Memories fade. Old-timers move on to whatever the next life brings. Does your local museum or historical society already have an oral history program capturing those elusive memories? If not, consider launching one! […]
Tales of Resilience: How Our Ancestors Coped
I’ve been fascinated lately by the concept of ‘resilience.’ Our ancestors had it. Somehow they made it through wars and food shortages; terrible pandemics; losing a spouse or a child to disease or accidents. And medical care? Well . . . some of the very best medical treatments back then would be cringe-worthy today. Sure, they had opium, laudanum, […]
Inspiration For Your Memoir: One Dream-Come-True Story!
GUEST BLOG: Q&A With New Memoir Author Jane Sweeney Jane Sweeney’s book has been umpteen years in the making. This year she finally did it — her memoir is published and out! I asked her to share her how-did-you-do-it story with our readers. Hope you’ll find inspiration in Jane’s story, and encouragement to keep pursuing your […]
Memoir Writing Quiz: All About YOU
This memoir how-to post is all about you. Your memoir goals. Your writing journey. Those chasms-without-a-bridge and 600-pound-gorillas standing in your way. It’s a quick and simple quiz, designed to give you added insight into where you want to go, and a few ideas about what might help you get there. I’d love to hear about your insights, your […]
Free Resources for Memoir Writers
Struggling with your memoir? Feeling stuck in the mud? Here’s a quick list of FREE resources to help float your writing boat again! Writing Tips for Memoir Writers: Tips to help make your writing sing Three places you can start Collection of tips for a life story Food, family and memories Finding Time to […]
Writing Your Way Through Coronavirus
There are certainly plenty of ways to describe the Great Coronavirus Experience. “Unprecedented” springs to mind. There’s also Stressful. Lonely. Depressing. Ugh. But flip that “half-empty” glass around and the times we’re living through are also pretty darn exciting: Medical advances at super-nova speed. Heart-warming fits, too – neighbors looking out for neighbors, strangers helping strangers. And how about inspiring – legions of doctors, […]