Category: On Writing
How My Book of Essays Became a Memoir of My Journey of Self-Discovery on Ireland’s Backroads
by Diane Hartman When I began my memoir, Getting Lost On My Way: Self-Discovery on Ireland’s Backroads, many years ago, I envisioned it as being a book of essays weaved together by a common thread –my four solo trips to Ireland over a period of seven years. I kept a journal during my travels and […]
The Soundtrack of Storytelling
By Heather Snograss Music has a way of weaving its way through all of our lives like thread. Some may use it as background noise while they are studying, working, or even to fall asleep. I am a person who retains what I read with music in the background and that is one reason I like […]
Some of My Best Writing Teachers Have Been People in Prison
By Joyce Hinnefeld In the spring of 2019, near the end of my twenty-five years of teaching writing at Moravian University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, I decided to try something new. After participating in a Story Exchange training session with Narrative 4—a group that works on “building compassionate classrooms . . . one story at a […]
Why I Wrote a Dual-Narrative Novel
By Laura Bonazzoli In the summer of 2016, I drove from Maine to Massachusetts to visit my aunt. Although more than two years had passed since my mother’s death, I was struck by the freshness of my aunt’s grief. As I sat in her kitchen, she told me the familiar story of how their mother, […]
Authors Interviewing Characters: Susan Breen
Merry A mother’s valiant efforts to bring her family the joy of Christmas go haywire when she finds herself haunted by the angry ghost of Charles Dickens. Merry Bingham used to love Christmas—until she started worrying all the time about family, money and death. The only thing that continues to bring her joy is reading […]
On Writing: Lucille Guarino
As far back as I can remember, I was a hobbyist writer. Way longer than I was an avid reader. I loved coming up with stories and experiencing a whole gamut of living through reading. But the genre that always seemed to stay with me—long after I finished a book—were the ones where the protagonists […]
Even the Most Beautiful Song Becomes Noise If You Never Leave the Room It’s Played In
By Amal Hdhili Some relationships start like a melody you didn’t know you’d been waiting for. The connection is instant, the laughter effortless, and the quiet moments together feel like enough. You discover comfort in each other’s presence—where the outside world fades and your little bubble becomes a sanctuary. Safe. Warm. Familiar. But love was […]
In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur
Karen Walrond, award-winning author of Radiant Rebellion and The Lightmaker’s Manifesto (featured on NPR’s Life Kit!), delivers a delightful jaunt in her upcoming book, In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur (Sept. 23). Walrond encourages readers to resist capitalist grind culture and experience joy in doing what they love — without the pressure of being excellent. Resist […]
For 29 Years I Hid My True Self, Finding Refuge Only in the Stories I Wrote… Until a Late Autism Diagnosis Changed Everything
by Alina Bellchambers Writing saved my life. I grew up in the warmth of my mum’s cosy bookshop, surrounded by stories I loved to read. But no amount of books could stop my mind from betraying me. As a child, I struggled a lot, spending many years feeling like I was existing in a kind […]
On Writing One Bad Mother
By Megan Williams I started writing my memoir One Bad Mother when I was applying to the Philadelphia Police Academy. It began as journal-like entries on my computer. I couldn’t believe some of the stuff I encountered and I wanted to make sure that I didn’t forget any of that craziness. Stuff like being told […]
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