Getting Personal with Millions of Readers

I read this story in the New York Times and it holds so many lessons for aspiring memoirists I wanted to share it here.

When Brooks Barnes, a correspondent who covers Hollywood for The New York Times, pitched an essay late last year about what it was like to grow up […]

By |2022-11-14T15:37:58-07:00November 14th, 2022|Categories: Memoir Writing|0 Comments

Not This Again

Three months ago, fearing my life had gotten too comfortable, I decided to stretch myself and do something that scared me, something for which I had no inherent talent.

I signed up for singing lessons.

It took every ounce of resolve I possessed to make it to the first lesson. When I […]

By |2022-01-20T14:01:00-07:00January 20th, 2022|Categories: Emotional Wisdom, Memoir Writing, On Writing|Tags: , , |3 Comments

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 […]

By |2021-11-09T10:45:25-07:00November 9th, 2021|Categories: Memoir Writing, On Writing|Tags: , , |0 Comments

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 […]

By |2021-10-21T13:49:52-06:00October 21st, 2021|Categories: Emotional Wisdom, Know Yourself, Memoir Writing|Tags: , , , |1 Comment

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 […]

By |2020-11-13T16:10:52-07:00November 13th, 2020|Categories: Memoir Writing, Trusting Your Soul|Tags: , |1 Comment

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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