Memoirs come in all shapes and sizes, and I believe there are as many ways to write memoir as there are people to write them.

Being back in South Louisiana caused me to think about the meaning of home.

In our forty-eighth episode of the Life Writers Vlog, we introduce a creative writing prompt titled “Barefootin’.”

Thank you all so much for the outpouring of love and good wishes sent to me this past week after posting about my mom’s death. I would love to have…

You should always give your stories working titles before you begin to write. You can change the title later, but every story deserves a name. This week's...

My mom took her last breath at 6:00 p.m. last Wednesday. Even though this was a call I had been expecting for four-plus years, it still came as a shock.

When there's a fifth Thursday in the month, we look to acclaimed authors for writing advice. Today, we tap into the wisdom of F. Scott...

My husband Bob and I just returned from a marvelous trip that took us to eight countries and gave us a world of new experiences. On the island…

Logically, you'd think all memoir should be written in the past tense because the events happened in the past. But one listener asks, "Do I...

Whenever you have a chance to hear an author speak in person, do it. It is so worth your time, effort, and gasoline.

My husband Bob and I just returned from a marvelous trip that took us to eight countries and gave us a world of new experiences. On the island…

Today, let’s look to the skies of our memory and recall the wonders we have seen.

If you like monkeys, Costa Rica is the place to go! I visited Parador Nature Resort and Spa in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, in June to finalize…

This being the first Thursday of the month, we take another bite from my book, Eating An Elephant: Write Your Life One Bite at a...

I speak to many different groups about the importance of writing their life stories—writers groups, genealogy groups, civic groups, truly, all kinds of groups. I...

Usually, I recommend memoirs on the third Thursday of the month, but instead, I will tell you about a little book that has helped me tremendously.

My mom started teaching me to type when I was five years old. My small fingers could barely press down the keys of that old...

Today, our focus is Bite #95, “Hold It Up to the Light,” from Eating an Elephant: Write Your Life One Bite at a Time, and...

On this fifth Thursday of the month, I want to feature a quotation from William Zinsser, an accomplished journalist and author of On Writing Well,...

Do I really need to hire an editor to help me with my book or story collection? I’m asked this question a lot, and there isn’t a clear-cut answer.

In Life Writers, we practice close reading as we study a published memoir over several months. Close reading is…

It’s not often you witness someone fulfilling a dream. I had that chance this afternoon. Lon Michael struggled throughout his young life.

When I wake to the sound of construction across the lake, I find it pleasant. Some would find it annoying. The sound of sawing and...

It’s not often you witness someone fulfilling a dream. I had that chance this afternoon. Lon Michael struggled throughout his young life.

Today, we crack open Eating an Elephant: Write Your Life One Bite at a Time and look at Bite #38 - Profiling. Profiling is the...

A few weeks ago, I heard Cheryl Strayed, author of the popular memoir, “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” speak at the Nonfiction…

Today, I tackle a common question I hear from people writing their life stories. Should I include photos in my stories?

As I banged away on my keyboard this week, I looked at my left wrist and saw a spot. I did what my mother always did to me when I was a kid and had dirt on my face

Today, I visited some old book friends from my grad school days and lingered on a collection of essays by Patricia Hampl titled I Could...

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who have children or served as maternal mentors or role models for others. I visited my mom this afternoon…

As we do on the second Thursday of every month, we are going to write in response to a prompt. We've probably been known by...

Nearly ten years ago, I offered my first writing challenge. But, if you’re new to Writing Your Life, you might not know what a writing challenge is.

It’s sometimes good to change where we draft our stories, but I think it’s important to have a dedicated space to write as I talk...

Nearly ten years ago, I offered my first writing challenge. But, if you’re new to Writing Your Life, you might not know what a writing challenge is.

I am a big believer in brainstorming as a warmup to writing. I encourage people to spend five to ten minutes brainstorming before they write....

I fell in love with Costa Rica in 2018 when Bob and I visited the Caribbean and Pacific coasts and many points in between.

I certainly love and respect books and all the wonderful stories they contain. As usual…

Often, something happens during my week, and I know exactly what I want to write my Sunday Story about. Other times, I’m not so lucky....

Have you ever sat down to write but had no idea what to write about? Every second Thursday, we solve that problem for you because...

As a kid, Easter was my favorite holiday. It wasn’t just about the candy, which I loved. Gold Brick Eggs, bunny ears, the crunchy bunny...

Many of us have rituals to begin and end our writing sessions. Today, we're going to talk about how and where you end your writing...

I learned a new word the other day: misophonia. Merrium-Webster defines misophonia as “a condition in which one or more common sounds (such as the...

No matter what class I teach or talk I give, the question always comes up, “How do I write about people in my family?” On...

Yesterday, I went to the memorial service for a gentleman who had been in my Orlando writing classes years ago. His name was Al Pfeiffer,...

Whenever I tell someone I help people write their life stories and family histories, they always say: “That’s so interesting. How did you end up...

Florida is weird. I’ve lived in Orlando just about as long as I lived in South Louisiana, so I feel entitled to tell the truth...

The memoir I want to share with you this week is Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn Jourdan. I enjoy passing on books I...

Lessons in Letting Go, Part Two Follow this link to read last week's Sunday Story, Lessons in Letting Go, Part One. One hotel chain has...

How do you write the hard things, the emotions you’d rather avoid? Today, we’ll try our hand at it together. From an unlikely source, we...

Lessons in Letting Go, Part One Recently, I had two lessons in letting go. The first involved the Costa Rica writing retreat I had scheduled...

When drafting a story, does it bug you to no end to see a typo or the wrong word in the paragraph you just finished?...

Warning: This Sunday Story is long, but you’ll want to read it. Last week, I began the story of meeting one of my literary heroes,...

On this, the fourth Thursday of the month, we answer your writing questions. Today’s question comes from Phyllis Pociopa, “How do I know when I'm...

It’s a drizzly Saturday afternoon as I write this. I sit on the second floor of one of my favorite bookstores—The Book Loft in Fernandina Beach on...

Studying–not just reading–a well-written memoir is like taking a master class with the author. Today, we learn from multi-award-winning author…

I kept hearing this loud squawking at dawn every morning and again after dark. I mean, really loud, and I couldn’t tell what bird was causing all...

On the second Tuesday of the month, we write in response to a prompt, so grab your laptop, pen and paper, quill and scroll, whatever...

Thank you to those who missed my Sunday Story last week and asked where it was. I felt excited to hear you noticed. Last Sunday,...

Do you remember the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and Andie McDonald? In it, Murray keeps experiencing the same day over and over. So...

Welcome back. On this, the fourth Thursday, we answer your writing questions. Today’s question is, “What if my family’s memories don’t match my own?” You...

I Love Pelicans I’ve mentioned before how fortunate we are to live on a lake near downtown Orlando thanks to a generous landlord and the...

Do you want to be a strong writer? Reading will help you achieve that goal, which is why we look at a specific memoir and...

New Eyes A couple of weeks ago, a friend told me a story a buddy shared with him. This buddy served in the navy aboard...

Welcome to our second vlog of January 2023. That means it is writing prompt day! Grab your pen and paper, laptop, or whatever you use....

Tiny Is Good Next door to the condo complex where my husband Bob and I live is a tiny house community, the largest neighborhood of...

Can you believe it is 2023? Ready or not, here we are. A new year can be a catalyst for new things, like writing your...

I Have a Decision to Make I have a big decision to make today. I was a failed journaler for decades, always buying beautiful new...

Today, we have the rare treat of a fifth Thursday vlog with writing advice from an accomplished writer. Our spotlight falls on a quote from...

Sounds Surround Us Most mornings, I do a short guided meditation to start my day. I don’t sit on the floor in a lotus position...

Today is the fourth Thursday, so our focus is on answers to your writing questions. I’m often asked, “What’s one thing I can do to...

I love to stare. No, not the creepy, I’m-looking-at-you kind of stare. I love to stare into the distance and allow my mind the freedom to romp…

How well do you write similes? On this third Thursday, I share a recommended memoir and what you can learn from it. The writer is...

Florida's Two Seasons We have two seasons in Florida. The beautiful one we’re in now is the this-is-why-I-live-here season. It starts sometime in November if...

Have you heard the phrase cat got your tongue? As life story writers, I suppose it would be more like blank page got your pen....

How do you know where to start writing your life story? Need help figuring that out? If the thought of writing your life story from...

Mark Twain's Writing Wisdom One of the United States' favorite bards, Mark Twain, offers us great writing advice in the way only he can--with humor....

No Time to Write All the time, I hear, "I want to write my life stories, but I never find the time." I understand. Finding time never...

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls To be a good life story writer, I believe you have to be a good reader, especially of memoirs....

Sounds of the Night In episode three of the Life Writers vlog, we are going to dip into a little book of writing prompts I...

The only way to do this wrong is to not do it at all! When a woman in my class asked me to write a...

Welcome to the Life Writers Vlog! If you're not sure what a vlog is, this video answers that question. Plus, I tell you what to...