Writing a Memoir Is Iterative
Last week, I began working my way through Jennie Nash’s new book, Blueprint for a Memoir. I have long been a fan of Jennie’s, and I read her first two books in this series, Blueprint for a Book (for fiction) and Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book. Since I am revising a...
To Be Astonished
Yesterday on our walk, my husband pointed out a large bush with shiny green leaves, growing by the side of the road. “This plant used to grow out in the swamp near the lake,” he said. He meant his family vacation cottage on Webster Lake in Massachusetts. “I saw it a...
Writing Sorrow and Solace
In September 2021, just three weeks before I stopped seeing patients in the clinic, I wrote in response to a poem titled “Things That Can Be Lost.” I wasn’t consciously thinking about the imminent loss of relationships with my patients. At first, I wrote about my...
When Caregiving Crosses Creativity
This week I shared a piece with my writing group that didn’t feel successful. I wrote a response to a prompt that was full of false starts and repeated attempts to begin. I finally stumbled on a topic but then ran out of time. The feedback I got was still valuable....
Narrative Threads
In September 2021, I met with my memoir group. We had been meeting together for a year to get our first drafts written. The prompt was a familiar William Stafford poem, “The Way It Is.” My writing that day gave me insight into what my memoir was about....
How to Be an Authentic Clown
About five years ago, I attended a Professional Training for AWA facilitators. We were an energetic group, and we all had a vital thing in common. We wanted to help people write and heal through their writing. A friend, Teegan Mannion, gave a...
The Middle Path of Empathy
In Buddhism, there is a middle path. Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, was born into a life of indulgence. Later in his life, he practiced extreme asceticism and deprivation. When he sat meditating under the Bodhi tree, he became enlightened, and he found a...
Learning Spiritual Truths
Last week I mentioned the first agreement in Don Miguel Ruiz’s book The Four Agreements, be impeccable with your word. Today’s post is about agreement #3, don’t make assumptions. Being a Palliative Care doctor helped me learn to be more direct in my speech. One...
Staying Safe on the Learning Curve
The members of the writing group I facilitate have been together for six months. And the safety of the group is up to me. I no longer consider myself a freshman facilitator. I am a sophomore, or as my father called them, wise morons. The word sophomore derives...
The Value of Reframing
Some of the worst times in my life have turned out to be the impetus for some of the best times. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I examined my choices in a close way. I didn’t make a lot of changes immediately, but I planted seeds that led to improvement in my...
Revising a Book-Length Story
This post is the first in an occasional series of recommendations for writing tools I’ve found useful. This first installment is for writers who are considering book-length storytelling, in prose or verse. It’s a group of tools I learned from writer, editor, and book...
Happiness Revisited
In this week, seven years ago, I posted an entry called Happiness: Finding the Way. Yesterday, I wrote in an offering from Write Around the World for Amherst Writers & Artists. There are sessions going on until May 31. I was given a writing prompt that caused me...