Healing Old Memories It’s inevitable, when you write memoir. . . Writing about the past is bound to dredge up a few old memories of the not-so-fun kind. How can you deal with those? Ah, that’s where the memoir process can truly be helpful. Don’t overlook therapy if a memory becomes overwhelming, or you find yourself deeply mired […]
Grandparent Stories That Shaped Your Life
Grandparent Stories That Shaped Your Life: We lived nearly 1,500 miles from my only remaining grandmother while I was a child. So I only met her five, maybe six times. I remember her as a tiny, almost fragile woman, with a sweet, quiet disposition. But there was clearly another side! Photos […]
Happy Food Memories – plus a few to forget
Some of our best memories revolve around holiday food. That special Thanksgiving cornbread stuffing? Fabulous. Christmas cookies drizzled with icing? Yum! Somehow or other, I wound up with Box #2 of our old family recipes – Box #1 resides with another sibling, I think. My own […]
What Stories Are You Telling Yourself As You Write?
What Stories Are You Telling Yourself? I ran across this amazing photo on Facebook. Taken in 1948 by noted photographer Leonard McCombe, it depicts a 91-year-old Navajo story-teller, thrilling his young audience with tales of heroes and monsters. Folk stories that had probably been handed down for generations, which might pass […]
Story of a Plain Girl: A Q&A with Memoir Author Marian Beaman
Looking for a little Memoir inspiration? Well, author Marian Beaman has not just one inspiring memoir in print, but two. Her first book, Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl, debuted in 2019. And her second, My Checkered Life: A Marriage Memoir, followed in 2023. Marian’s intriguing first book shares stories of growing up […]
Take a Break From Writing? Really??
Last month, I gave myself a break. A break from writing, that is. I didn’t stop the word flow entirely, mind you. I kept up with a fiction project. But normally I also turn out two nonfiction stories every single month. For once, I listened to myself. I stopped pushing […]
Five Things I Learned Doing My Family History
I recently finished my own family history, a six-month project that only took me, oh, about thirty years to complete. That’s right. I’ve helped dozens and dozens of other people write their memoirs or family histories. I’ve written a whole book about how to do what I did for others. But it’s taken me […]
When Memoirs Bring Up Feelings
Watch out for the “Memoir Blues”! Working on a Memoir – your own tale, or the story of your family – can tap surprising, long-buried feelings. Memories and emotions you thought you’d worked out long ago. And definitely not just the happy ones. I know. Because it’s been happening […]
Tips for Promoting Your Memoir
Some Tips for Promoting Your Memoir: So you’ve finished writing your memoir. Now, how the heck do you promote it? It’s one of the questions memoir writers struggle with the most! The awful, painful truth: book marketing is never easy. Worse yet, marketing a memoir can be especially difficult. That’s not […]
A Successful Memoir Author Shares Her Tips
Q&A With Memoir Author Leslie Ferguson: It’s been quite a roller-coaster ride for memoir author Leslie Ferguson. Over 15 years in the making, her memoir “When I Was Her Daughter” was finally released in late 2021 — to great acclaim! Think multiple podcasts, signings, great reviews, and a personal appearance at the […]
Marketing Your Memoir Book
Marketing Your Memoir You’ve probably heard all the standard book marketing advice. There’s speaking, networking, newsletters, podcasts, and of course social media. But how else might you reach folks who would appreciate your memoir’s message? I reached out to ask a group of creative authors for some fresh ideas. One of the […]
Writing Magic: Transporting Your Reader
Ever read a passage so good it gave you goosebumps? What is that word-magic that can transport a reader to another time, another place? Two readers kindly shared favorites from their memoirs with us, as examples. Here’s one I loved, from Dana Quinney’s second memoir, Wildflower Woman (and I bet […]