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Henick_1:13
Interviews

Mark Henick: On Memory, Healing, and Languishing Projects

Author Mark Henick shares how he was able to turn a successful TEDx talk into a memoir, even when the project didn't come as quickly as he expected.

  • By Robert Lee Brewer
    Jan 13, 2021
Sammons_11:21
Personal Writing

Telling Our Family Stories: 4 Reasons Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Write Our Family Narratives

Nonfiction author Mary Beth Sammons explores the questions that cause us to learn more about our ancestries and what we learn about ourselves and each other when we do so.

  • By Mary Beth Sammons
    Nov 21, 2020
when_a_memoir_is_a_novel_the_thin_line_between_fabricated_fact_and_real_fiction_heidi_mccrary
Writing Techniques

When a Memoir Is a Novel: The Thin Line Between Fabricated Fact and Real Fiction

Author Heidi McCrary digs into when a memoir is a novel (or at least, when it should be a novel) and examines the thin line between fabricated fact and real fiction by looking at her own novel, Chasing North Star.

  • By Heidi McCrary
    Sep 29, 2020
lee_gutkind_godfather_behind_creative_nonfiction_tries_memoir_for_the_first_time
Interviews

Lee Gutkind: The Godfather Behind Creative Nonfiction Takes on Memoir for the First Time

Dubbed the "Godfather behind creative nonfiction" by Vanity Fair Magazine, Lee Gutkind shares his first experience with memoir, what makes it different than his previous books, what writers can't take back, and more!

  • By Robert Lee Brewer
    Sep 29, 2020
karol_hoeffner_writing_stories_when_theyre_ready_to_blossom
Interviews

Karol Hoeffner: Writing Stories When They're Ready to Blossom

Novelist and screenwriter Karol Hoeffner shares what inspired her latest novel (Knee Deep), what surprised her the most in writing it, her best piece of advice for other writers who may be feeling writer's block during the pandemic, and more!

  • By Robert Lee Brewer
    Sep 23, 2020
jax_miller_switching_from_fiction_to_true_crime_hero_image
Interviews

Jax Miller: Switching From Fiction to True Crime

In this post, Miller shares what inspired her to switch writing genres (from fiction to true crime), move to Oklahoma, sit with convicted murderers and in meth labs, and more!

  • By Robert Lee Brewer
    Jul 31, 2020
Heather Lanier Quote
Memoir

Author Spotlight: Heather Lanier on Raising a Rare Girl

In this author spotlight, Heather Lanier shares how her blog posts put her on the path to publication success with a new book, Raising a Rare Girl.

  • By Amy Jones
    Jul 7, 2020
villains in memoir
Memoir

Your Own Worst Enemy: Writing Villains in Memoir

Writing villains in memoir takes a special kind of honesty. In this feature from the July/August 2019 issue of Writer's Digest, William Kenower offers his take.

  • By William Kenower
    Jan 31, 2020
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Memoir

But This Really Happened: What to Include and Leave Out of a Memoir

Author Timothy J. Hillegonds shares three ideas on how to determine what to include and what to leave out of a memoir so that it supports the main themes of the book.

  • By Timothy Hillegonds
    Oct 28, 2019
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Memoir

How to Write About Grief: 5 Things to Consider When Writing Difficult Topics

Author Sadie Hoagland shares 5 things to consider when writing difficult topics and how to write about grief, including how to handle honesty, trauma, and abstraction.

  • By Sadie Hoagland
    Oct 25, 2019
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Memoir

How to Write a Compelling Memoir (and Stay Sane in the Process)

In this post, Tanja Pajevic shares how to write a compelling memoir and stay sane in the process. In this post, she describes nine tips, including clarifying your scope, how to correct course as you go, and more.

  • By Tanja Pajevic
    Oct 9, 2019
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Memoir

Writing About Your Life Without Ruining Your Relationships

"Write what you know" is common writing advice, but when it comes to mining what you know about your friends and family for stories, you enter delicate territory, as Mark Guerin shares in this guest post.

  • By Mark Guerin
    Aug 26, 2019
What a Body Remembers Karen Stefano
Memoir

Trauma: What Happens When We Put It On the Page?

Writing the story of her assault wasn't easy for Karen Stefano. The author shares her experience writing about trauma, including how she found the strength to put it all on the page, the inevitable ups and downs, and the self-care needed in between.

  • By Karen Stefano
    Jul 8, 2019
Fred Waitzkin Deep Water Blues
Memoir

Nothing Is Fiction

Former journalist and award-winning author Fred Waitzkin made the leap from nonfiction to fiction by accepting that nothing is fiction—everything is inspired by his real-life experience.

  • By Fred Waitzkin
    Jun 7, 2019
 Writing Your Legacy, by Richard Campbell & Dr. Cheryl Svensson
Memoir

5 Steps to Overcoming Fears of Writing about the Deeply Personal in Your Memoir

Jane Binns discusses the difficulty some memoir writers experience about publishing deeply personal life events and emotions.

  • By Guest Column
    Jan 13, 2019
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Screenwriting (Film)

5 Lessons Writers Can Learn from the Film 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?'

The 2018 film adaptation of Lee Israel's memoir Can Your Ever Forgive Me?, which details her criminal misadventures forging letters by famous authors, was met with critical acclaim—and it offers several valuable lessons for writers.

  • By Cassandra Lipp
    Nov 15, 2018
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WD Podcasts

The Writer’s Digest Podcast, Episode 10: The Art of the Graphic Memoir

In this episode author and cartoonist Tom Hart shares an inside look at writing and publishing in the graphic novel and comics world. In this interview, they discuss how writers and artists collaborate to create amazing stories, the importance of finding your cohort in the comics community, and how self-publishing in this form not only enhances your skills but also your credibility.

  • By Gabriela Pereira
    Nov 2, 2018
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Publishing Insights

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Writing a Memoir

Author Eli Jaxon-Bear shares three essential questions you must ask when writing a memoir.

  • By Guest Column
    Oct 24, 2018
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Craft & Technique

5 Things to Consider When Structuring Your Memoir

Memoir structure is as crucial as structure in fiction and no good memoir will be able to stand tall without it. Several ingredients can be used to create a structure that works for your book.

  • By Guest Column
    Sep 12, 2018
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Memoir

How Much Should I Say? Choosing What to Include in a Memoir About a Sensitive Topic

Choosing what to include in a memoir can be challenging—and doubly so when the topic of the memoir is particularly sensitive. Susan Burrowes, who wrote a book about her family's struggle with her teen daughter's addiction, discusses her process and decisions.

  • By Guest Column
    Aug 29, 2018
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The Writer's Life

How I Stopped Sabotaging My Writing Goals: Confessions of a Late Bloomer

Despite long-standing aspirations of writing a book, initial successes with short stories and essays, and a healthy career in publishing, Andrea Jarrell published her first book at age 55.

  • By Guest Column
    Jul 18, 2018
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Memoir

#YouToo? 11 Tips for Writing Your #MeToo Stories

In this piece about the impact of the #MeToo movement on how and what women write, Leigh Anne Jasheway explores different ways writers can approach sharing stories of sexual harassment and assault.

  • By Leigh Anne Jasheway
    Jun 1, 2018
 Writing Your Legacy, by Richard Campbell & Dr. Cheryl Svensson
Writing Articles

What to Do When You're a Memoirist and Memory Fails

For writers—particularly those who write memoirs—memory can be the medium and ultimately also the message when a story, event or feeling emerges from the darkness into the light of conscious knowing. But what happens when a memoirist can't remember?

  • By Guest Column
    Apr 20, 2018
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Memoir

5 Tips for Writing About an Established Relationship

Whether the relationship is healthy, codependent or even antagonistic, established relationships have a few unique things in common.

  • By Guest Column
    Dec 4, 2017
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