Where to Start? The Power of Action.

Where to Start? The Power of Action.

How Do You Start a Memoir? A would-be memoirist contacted me the other day. “I’ve been writing now for several months,” she said. “But I can’t get it going. Where should I start?’ “What have you tried?” I asked....
Editing Your Memoir

Editing Your Memoir

There’s a saying in the writing world, “writing is re-writing.” But a lot of  writers, it seems, haven’t heard about this part of the work, or expect to get by without. No writer sits down when the muse strikes, and cranks out pages of perfect...
MINDFUL WRITING – BALANCING SURRENDER AND CONTROL

MINDFUL WRITING – BALANCING SURRENDER AND CONTROL

Mindful Writing is a lot like life which is a lot like dancing on a teeter-totter, “surrender” at one end and “control” at the other. When the desire for control takes over, I buckle down, work harder, make some progress but too often end up banging my head against a...
What is a “creative mistake”?

What is a “creative mistake”?

  photo credit: Pixabay.com I’ve been watching the winter Olympics, especially the figure skating. Magnificent, but what strikes me particularly is the falls and the recoveries. How quickly the skaters rise,  glide seamlessly (so it appears) right back in...
What makes a memoir great?

What makes a memoir great?

photo credit: Pixabay.com I just finished reading Pamela Jane’s engrossing memoir, An Incredible Talent for Existing: A Writer’s Story. This memoir found its way into my heart because it combined so many of the (heretofor) unconscious qualities I seek in...