When it comes to productivity, you probably already have your own list of what doesn’t work. Working longer, harder, more hours trying to cram it all in, for one thing. That’s just a sure-fire recipe for burnout. How about following each and every Bright, Shiny Object that crosses your path relentlessly? Yeah, that doesn’t work, […]
From Tragedy to Inspiration: How Writing a Memoir Can Be Healing
Q&A With Author Jodi Graber Pratt: Imagine being just a few yards away from the World Trade Center the morning of September 11, 2001. Hearing the first of two planes fly directly over your head. Running for your life as pieces of concrete and other building materials rained down around you. Author Jodi Graber Pratt takes you there, […]
3 Writing Tips To Make Your Writing Sing!
Ever hit a long-winded passage and turn the page, hoping the story would pick up later? I see a few hands out there. This month, I wanted to share three quick writing tips to avoid page-turning-reader syndrome and let your writing sing! (1) Look for “padding” you don’t need. An easy place to start: those extraneous, repetitive, extra, unnecessary, duplicative, […]
Memoir Writers: Who Inspired You?
It’s easy to think of our memoir as just our own story. But how many other paths crossed yours to make you who you are today? Probably thousands and thousands! In this pool table game of life, we’ve all taken hits from a few random cue balls. Our trajectory has been disrupted by unexpected forces that coaxed us, prodded […]
Food & Family History: Special Memories Often Start in the Kitchen
Serendipity gives me goosebumps. Just as I was about to write this post about “food memories,” I stumbled on a terrific example of this exact form of family-history writing. “From Billee’s Kitchen” is a great, simple collection of not only recipes but memories. Compiled in pdf form by Melissa Corn Finlay, it honors her grandmother, Billee […]
Six Great Gifts Just for Memoir Writers (Plus 3 Helpful Tips)
’Tis the season (or soon will be) for gift-giving. And don’t forget those upcoming New Year’s Resolutions. (Hope yours will include writing!) Whether you’re thinking about a gift for a fellow writer, or perhaps a motivational gift for yourself, here are six fun gift ideas. And keep reading to the end for three helpful writing tips to keep your inspiration […]
GUEST BLOG: Memoir Author Sally Bailey Jasperson
Sally Bailey has danced with some of the biggest names in professional ballet. Think Rudolph Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. She became a professional ballerina with the San Francisco Ballet at the age of 19, and spent the next 16 years on a whirlwind of stages: from New York to Ecuador, Istanbul to Cairo, Egypt to […]
Writing About an “Ordinary” Life
MEMOIR TIP: Finding the Special in an “Ordinary” Life Ever feel like “my life was nothing special”? It’s a common refrain among memoir writers. You went to work; came home; cooked; did laundry. Then rinse and repeat, day after day. Where’s the special to write about in that so-called “ordinary” life? Here’s my take-away after interviewing dozens of folks who […]
GUEST BLOG: Q&A With Memoir Author Lisa Lombardi O’Reilly
Jim Lombardi may have started out in life as an altar boy. But his years as a teen were a somewhat different story: Jim was shipped off to boarding school for “not shaping up.” Shape up he did, operating a successful L.A. restaurant and then joining LAPD as a reserve, patrolling the beat and working undercover […]
Dream of the Water Children: Memoir Tips from Fredrick Cloyd
GUEST BLOG: Q&A With Memoir Author Fredrick D. Kakinami Cloyd Some stories just grab your heart and demand to be shared. Dream of the Water Children is one of those special books. Author Fredrick D. Kakinami Cloyd was kind enough to share some thoughts about his new memoir that I hope will inspire you. A […]
Inspiration for your Memoir Writing
GUEST BLOG: Q&A With Memoir Author Fran Macilvey I was so excited to “meet” this memoir author on Facebook recently, and wanted to share her story and tips with you! Hope it inspires your own memoir writing. Author Fran Macilvey has not just one inspiring memoir book under her belt, but three. Her first book, Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy, […]
Mental Yoga
Starting to write can feel like this. Awkward. Uncomfortable. Totally unfamiliar. And like everyone else is better at this than you. Just close your eyes and dive in. Remember any words you write can be fixed up, corrected, and changed later. But a blank page can’t be edited. So pull out a pen. Top off […]