Your Story Matters
Is Writing Memoir an Exercise in Narcissism?
I got a panicky email a few weeks ago from one of my clients.
I offered to hop on a call with her, and when we connected, I learned that some family members had been pressuring her to stop writing he...
How to Anchor Your Reader in Time and Place
As I proofread my memoir The Only Way Through Is Out one last time, I smiled as I noticed (and double-checked) all the time and place "anchors" my book coach had encouraged me to include.
Like this a...
Why Preparing a TED Talk Makes You a Better Memoirist (Even If You Never Intend to Get on Stage)
A couple of months ago I did something that left me feeling somewhere between a wet noodle and a very burnt piece of toast.
Picture a TED talk, with a Zoom room as the stage, and a memoir writer in a...
LGBTQ+ Memoirs Every Memoir Writer Should Read
What are mentor texts?
Mentor texts are a great tool for writers. Simply put, mentor texts are books writers can study as models to develop good writing skills and craft.
Here's the good news, write...
Pride 2023 Stories: Part 3 - Charli, Elaine & Nicki
All month long, I'm highlighting the stories of queer writers I've worked with 1:1 or inside my Write Yourself Out community, as well as the stories of other awesome queer humans.
Pride 2023 Stories: Part 2 - Susanna & Kimeron
All month long, I'm highlighting the coming-out stories of queer writers I've worked with 1:1 or inside my Write Yourself Out mentorship and community, as well as the stories of other awesome queer hu...
Pride 2023 Stories: Part 1 - Kathy & Katrina
Recently, I had an interesting exchange with a writer friend of mine who lives in a progressive bubble in the Pacific Northwest. 🤔
She was remarking on how accepting everyone is now of the LGBTQ+ com...
Why We Judge Books By Their Covers
A couple weeks ago, I opened an email from the art director of my publisher entitled "Cover Design Introduction."
Ahh ... covers.
You've heard the expression "Don't judge a book by its cover," which...
Queer Writers: Our Words Matter
My gut told me something was off.
As I reviewed the copy edit of my memoir manuscript—my final chance to make any substantive changes to THE ONLY WAY THROUGH IS OUT—something bothered me about one se...
Does Your Memoir Need to Be Edited?
The short answer is YES.
The longer answer is that there are many different kinds of editing that are important at different stages in your writing journey.
Developmental Editing
Developmental edit...
