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:
- Oh, the tyranny of the typo
- Your brain on God
- No, yours actually are not the oldest bras in the world
- Really? Still we have opinions about other people’s pregnancies?
- Guns
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.
Jan says
Thank you so much for this book! I picked up a copy at the Mayborn Conference in Dallas last week. I am about to launch a collaborative project with my brother relating our concurrent hospitalization as young children and the divergent outcomes the experience had for us. I’ve done enough writing exercises to sink a boat. It’s time to write this story!
marion says
Hi, Jan: Welcome. I am delighted to read you here. You are so welcome. I love that little book, and adore hearing from readers. That story sounds absolutely fascinating. Let me know how it goes, please. Write on.