Write Your Story. Change Your Life.
Living Deliberately:
How to Craft a Life of Intention
Allow Me to Introduce Myself…
Hi! I’m Shari Caudron and I’m passionate about the life-changing power of personal narrative.
I believe stories are the most powerful things we possess. But most of us are too close to see our stories–we don’t know what they’re telling us or how to revise them for the better. I want to change that.
The world needs your story. More importantly, you need your story. To live a meaningful and fulfilling life you need to see the gifts and wisdom hidden inside your life story so that you can share those gifts with others.
I see stories. That’s my superpower. And I put it to work two ways:
As a memoir coach who can help you understand, write and publish your story, and…
As a teacher, retreat guide, and mentor to women who wish to craft a new narrative for their lives going forward.
Story Matters
A blog about a bunch of different story-related stuff…
Go From Good to Great Using Your Powers of Observation
By Susan Orlean (This article originally appeared in Medium on November 5, 2021. I wanted to repost it here because Susan Orlean has been a tremendous teacher for me in my writing career. If you want to know how to craft compelling nonfiction, read her work!) It’s stating the obvious to [...]
Why I Didn’t Publish My Memoir
I’ve worked as a writer ever since I graduated with a journalism degree in 1982. For almost every piece of writing I’ve done, I’ve had a contract to write it ahead of time. I’ve known the topic, the length, the audience, and how much I’d be paid for my efforts. [...]
Your 30-Minute Myth
I have no scientific data to back this up, but I would say—based on experience and observation—that it takes an average of four years to write a memoir, and by that I mean the kind of well-crafted story others would want to read. In the process, memoirists not only learn [...]
Gimme the page over a party anytime
Last weekend, I attended my first post-Covid party—a warm, summer night gathering held in a friend’s leafy yard. I arrived excited. There were people--lots of them! And all seemed to be smiling. The collective vibe: Covid is over! After grabbing a glass of rose, I launched into conversations with a [...]
What Our Keyboards Teach Us
The last two weeks I’ve been avoiding my piano, and two nights ago, after a particularly frustrating night of practice, I realized why. Whenever I’d sit down to play—or, more accurately, clonk my way through the beginner’s book—I’d find myself confronting patterns of behavior that have plagued me my entire [...]
On longing, envy (and yes, writing)
There was a time in my early forties when I once spent the better part of a day shopping for a soap dish and toothbrush holder that would perfectly match the brushed nickel faucets in my newly remodeled spa bathroom. Back then, I was extremely proud of my just-spicy-enough jambalaya [...]
Testimonials
“I couldn’t have written my memoir without Shari’s help – she taught me the important difference between journaling and memoir. The format of her six-month coaching sessions allowed me to approach the writing chapter by chapter and produce a first draft by the end of that coaching. Her guidance was so detailed and ideas so spot-on that I was able to work on my own from there to incorporate the suggested changes into my edits to create a compelling final manuscript.”
MICHELE MORRIS
author, Poco a Poco, A Memoir
Outskirts Press, 2018
Winner, Colorado Book Award
Silver Medal Winner,
Nautilus Book Awards
“By asking great questions, Shari was able to tease out the nuggets from my brain so I could get them on paper. Shari is determined to make a difference for her clients and gets very invested in their projects. You couldn’t ask for anyone better on your team.”
TAMRA RYAN
author, The Third Law,
Gilpin House Press, 2013
Gold Medal Winner,
2015 Axiom Business Book Awards for Women/Minorities in Business
Gold Medal Winner, 2015 Living Now Book Awards for Social Activism/Charity
Winner, The Book Excellence Award for
Civic/Social Change
“Without fail, even brief conversations with Shari reinvigorated my writing. She is a purveyor of confidence, clarity, and stamina. She has the insight of a skilled therapist, and the craft of a great writer. She has been a cheerleader and a teacher and a friend. And truly, what more could a writer ask for?”
CARA MENTZEL
author, Voice Lessons: A Sisters Story
Macmillian, 2017
Featured on The Today Show, Pickler & Ben, NY Live, People.com, and named a top 20 Goodreads choice for best memoir