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The Transformation of Memoir, Part II
Last week, I wrote about my initial venture into writing memoir and how I was motivated in part by self-pity and feeling isolated. If you missed it, I posed some questions regarding your own writing projects that you may find useful. The link...
The Transformation of Memoir, Part I
I’ve been thinking a lot about the process of writing memoir and how it transforms you. Over the next few weeks, I want to a share few ways that writing my memoir has changed me, with the hope that you might find something of value for your own work. SOME...
Why read black authors
Why read memoirs by Black authors? I received this question from a fellow writer a few days ago. My first reaction was, are you kidding? Then I remembered the wisdom of a dear writing friend: Check yourself, she said. She may not know. The question came from a...
Close Reading as Spiritual Practice
You’ve probably seen and/or downloaded some of the anti-racist reading lists circulating on the Internet. White Fragility and How to Be an Anti-Racist are a few books that are on my nightstand now. If for some reason you haven’t laid eyes on any of these lists and...
One Good Reason to Tell Your Story
I was cleaning my studio a few days ago, tearing flagged pages from old notebooks, and found this note I'd written about Mara Wilson’s memoir, Where Am I Now? “Wilson discovered she had OCD after reading the memoir, Kissing Doorknobs, by Terry Spencer. Spencer’s frank...
The Time to Write is Always Now
It looks like this strange state we find ourselves in will continue for some time. The social distancing. The masks. The zoom chats. Most of us will be at home for the foreseeable future. How can you create space inside this new reality? How do you make room for...
Rest and Receive
I want to tell you a story I’ve repeated so often lately, it occurs to me that it might be something you need to hear. Even if you've heard it before, I'm guessing you need to hear it again. It's about knowing when to withdraw from giving, when it's time to rest...
Filter in Place
I've heard from some of you that you want to use this time go do deeper in your writing, but you're having trouble focusing. Quieting the mind was challenging enough before we became bombarded by the Internet. And then quarantine came along and added another...
Feeding the Mind
If you can break through fight, flight, or freeze, If you can tune out the madness in the media, If you can find some semblance of silence and solitude, This is an extraordinary time to go within. Meditation and writing practice open the mind. Reading something good,...
Things That Help
I want to share a few things that are helping me through the endless days of going nowhere, but first I feel compelled to disclose that it's not all rainbows and unicorns over here. As I've been trying to convince my students and clients, you can't tell your...
READY TO COMMIT TO
YOUR WRITING?
READY TO COMMIT TO
YOUR WRITING?
The Continuous Practice Community is a free, online gathering of writers committed to supporting one another’s daily writing practice. When you become a member, you’ll also receive a copy of Say Yes to Yourself and No to Your Loved Ones: A Writer’s
Decision Guide to Starting Your Path Home.