May this holiday season be filled with laughter, family, friends, and bring you an abundance of joy. And may this coming year bring inspiration to live a vibrant, vital life. May you continue to grow in creative expression, fulfill your deepest longings, and find peace in your center. ~ I […]
“We build our character from the bricks of habit we pile up day by day.” Zig Ziglar When people ask me about my writing habits and hear that I write every day, they sometimes say, “Oh, I could NEVER do that.” As if it were a choice. But the truth […]
YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD the mantra, “Show don’t tell,” a million and one times, and though exposition and summary play important roles in memoir and should not be excluded entirely, a book that is all summary and no scene is a yawner at best. Imagine going to the theater to watch […]
Definition of Critique — noun: a critical estimate or discussion. Examples: a critique of the poet’s work • an honest critique of her art. — Merriam Webster Dictionary Analysis, evaluation, assessment, appraisal, appreciation, criticism, review, study, commentary, exposition, exegesis. — Apple Online Dictionary IF YOU’RE A WRITER, soon or later […]
IN PREVIOUS POSTS in this series, we’ve discussed and journaled about the different types of grief, how grief manifests in different ways in our lives, the many emotions associated with grief, and how to recognize and deal specifically with numbness, loneliness, and guilt. I’d like to re-emphasize here that though […]
Today, I’m hosting Antoinette Truglio Martin and her touching memoir, Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. Below the book review and summary is Martin’s article, “Five Journaling Tips When Going Through a Difficult Trial.” WHAT DO YOU DO when your doctor informs you that your […]
YOU ARE WISE. Your inner being, soul, Self, intuition, psyche — whatever you want to call it — knows more than you realize. And journaling can be an effective way of tapping into this inner wisdom. But how does it work? Carl Jung is famous for having given us many of […]
I AM NOT an expert on social media or social media marketing. Far from it, though I’ve certainly received a lot of advice that social media engagement is a must for any successful author. In fact, if you Google “social media for authors” (use the quotes to find results with […]
I AM EXCEPTIONALLY PLEASED to bring you Lisa Turner’s story of how her outstanding memoir, Dream Take Flight: An Unconventional Journey, came to be. Dream Take Flight is the story of a woman who, since the time she was very young, has had dreams (not just wish-dreams, but nighttime sleep […]
DO YOU STRUGGLE with getting started or maintaining a regular writing practice? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Clients, students, and readers often reach out to me because they’re having difficulty sustaining a regular writing schedule. And, just like maintaining an exercise program, once they’ve fallen out of practice, getting […]
AS IF LOSS ISN’T ENOUGH by itself, another painful emotion that grief awakens and amplifies is guilt. Guilt that accompanies grief can come in several forms and each is not exclusive, meaning you may experience more than one kind of guilt at once. Telling yourself (or someone else telling you) […]
YOU’VE GOT A STORY to tell and you’ve been thinking about writing a memoir. Maybe you’ve already begun writing and have drafted a few scenes or anecdotes from your early life. And you’ve gotten good feedback from your friends or writing group. Or maybe you haven’t started writing, but whenever […]
