I often use Lisa Dale Norton’s gem of a memoir-writing book in the memoir and life story writing classes I teach. Her small book, Shimmering Images: A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir (St. Martin’s Press), leads writers along the pivotal path to the heart of our personal stories. In her guest … [Read more...] about Guest Post by Author Lisa Dale Norton
creative writing tips
How to Choose a Creative Writing Class
Writers, like musicians, athletes, and even astronauts have to constantly strengthen their skills. For writers, attending classes is one good way to do that. But writing classes have their pros and cons. How do you assess which class is right for you? Tips for Choosing a Writing Class 1) The class … [Read more...] about How to Choose a Creative Writing Class
Family History Writing: Guest Post by Linda Gartz, Part 2
In Part 2 of her guest post below, Linda Gartz, researcher and author of the ambitious and impressive Family Archaeologist blog, offers tips to others interested in documenting their family histories. Family History Writing Advice The first thing to do if you want to begin a family history is … [Read more...] about Family History Writing: Guest Post by Linda Gartz, Part 2
3 (or 4) Terrific Books for Aspiring Writers
Are there books you turn to again and again to inspire your muse or strengthen your writing? This post (and a few to follow) is about those books I most often recommend to my creative writing students. Why? Because each of these books covers a lot of ground in an easy, accessible way. You won't … [Read more...] about 3 (or 4) Terrific Books for Aspiring Writers
How to Stay Inspired to Write
To be a writer, you have to be self-motivated – even if you’ve been lucky enough to have a publisher pay you an advance to produce a book. There's always the possibility that you'll experience days when you feel you’re just not up to the challenge. Writers ask themselves (and me, as their … [Read more...] about How to Stay Inspired to Write
Finding Time to Write
If you're always putting other activities before your writing, try the tips in the list that follows. 1) Eliminate distractions and time wasters. Get on “do-not-call” (www.donotcall.gov) and “do-not-mail” (www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference) lists to stop telemarketers’ calls and junk … [Read more...] about Finding Time to Write
How to Become a Writer
If you’ve been doing something else with your life up to now (and who hasn’t?), go ahead and start identifying as a writer. It’s not necessary to tell others that you're a writer, but it’s critical that you tell yourself. Believe it in your heart. Believe it in your soul. You are a writer. You … [Read more...] about How to Become a Writer
Are You a Real Creative Writer?
You've probably heard people say, “I’ve always wanted to write,” as often as I have. Gets old, doesn't it? Maybe you’ve said it yourself. An estimated 80 million Americans want to write a book. But how many actually write anything, let alone a book? For most people, being a writer is just a vague … [Read more...] about Are You a Real Creative Writer?
Supercharge Your Life Writing with These Ideas
The main branch of my town library invited three instructors to lead creativity workshops for folks 50+ years old. I had the pleasure of running the workshop on memoir and life story writing with three different groups of participants. I'd worried beforehand that the evening was packing too many … [Read more...] about Supercharge Your Life Writing with These Ideas