NEWS YOU CAN USE. Maybe you saw these stories. Maybe you missed them, but these are among the pieces I’ve read recently that might elicit some form of short memoir – an op-ed, or personal essay – from you. Once a week I’ll bring you news pieces I find provocative.
Here are some that get me going:
- Ah, “fleeting profanity” raises its ugly head again, and with it, the penis
- A woman of firsts is laid to rest
- NASCAR finally stalls out in the US
- She Ate. She Prayed. She Loved. And then she gave too much away?
Surely you have something to say using one of these as your news peg.
Looking for inspiration or guidance on how to write a personal essay? Look at my categories for NPR essays, parenting essays, and several other topics. All of the pieces there have been published, or have aired on the radio. If those don’t work, see the interactive calendar for more inspiration. And write on.
See a typo, a grammar flub, my (ever-present) overuse of commas? Point it out, and I’ll throw you in the pool for a monthly free book giveaway. Which book? One of mine – your choice – all of which were professionally copy edited, thank goodness.
Tim Hillegonds says
I tweeted this to you, so forgive my redundancy here…BUT, the Memoir Project was a phenomenal book, and I just had to tell you that one more time. I’ve actually got it underneath my pillow in hopes that it will radiate even more of its knowledge into my brain during my slumber. Thanks for writing it!
Lynne says
the travails of working at home…not knowing what day it is! I get it. I do it. Without my computer calendar automatically updating I’d be totally lost in the world of regimented time.