Story Matters
On writing, memoir and self-discovery
Recent Posts
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 […]
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 swirl of […]
Are You Ready To Begin?
I contemplated writing a memoir for four years before I started writing one in earnest. During those years, I took notes, wrote some scenes, created a list of memories, read other memoirs, played with structure. But I didn’t write consistently. Instead, I wrote when I felt like it, when I […]
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.
With […]
Developing Yourself as a Character
When writing with the “I” pronoun, it is not enough to simply describe the events from your point of view – you must consciously develop yourself into a character just like a novelist develops a protagonist. Readers want to know who is speaking the same way they want to know […]
How Writing a Memoir Changes Your Story
I was recently interviewed for a podcast sponsored by the Hoffman Institute. If you’ve never heard of Hoffman, well, let me say that if you’re ready to make some important changes in your life–or, if you’re stuck and have no idea where to turn–you may want to check […]
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