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, […]
Reinvention Is The Spice of Memoir
New beginnings? We’ve all had them. In fact, life is always starting anew, it seems. And not just when we’re young! Maybe you recently retired – and a whole new vista has opened up: Time to travel. Time to sew or read. Time to just explore what you can do and who you might be without the confines of […]
Productivity Hacks 101: The Power of Lists
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 […]