SINCE PUBLICATION OF THE MEMOIR PROJECT, my irreverent little book on how to write memoir, there has not been one day that I have not wanted to tweak it, adding a small thought or a phrase to what I … [Read more...] about How To Write That First, Messy Draft: The Perfect Recipe
Family on its Way? Seven Successful Secrets for Capturing them in Memoir
IT ARRIVES FOUR TIMES EACH YEAR. You think I mean the seasons changing, don't you? Nope. Not that. Or, more to the point, all that plus this one other altogether totemic quarterly moment that happens … [Read more...] about Family on its Way? Seven Successful Secrets for Capturing them in Memoir
Look to Life’s Small Moments When Writing What You Know
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. You know the expression. But what does it mean and how do you do it? First and foremost, it requires nothing less than chucking the Big Bang notion of reality TV, talk radio, and … [Read more...] about Look to Life’s Small Moments When Writing What You Know
A September 11th Remembrance
HOW TO WRITE the personal essay is something I cover in my many online memoir classes. I've written many essays, including those I read during my time as a commentator for NPR's All Things Considered. … [Read more...] about A September 11th Remembrance
The Single Greatest Piece of Writing Advice? That’s Simple. Write With Intent.
PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK ME for my best writing advice. They want it and they want it fast. I guess everyone is in a hurry, but honestly, that's the question I get asked more than any other. And I always say … [Read more...] about The Single Greatest Piece of Writing Advice? That’s Simple. Write With Intent.
Memoir Writing: The Op-ed
SOMETIMES I FORGET to explain things. Like years ago, when a friend was visiting me from Switzerland. I did the all-America thing and took him to his first baseball game. A sportswriter's daughter, I … [Read more...] about Memoir Writing: The Op-ed