Well, when they’re good, catharsis.

See, if it’s written, it’s real. Maybe that’s oversimplified, maybe it’s exactly right, but that’s the operating principle behind business, politics, law, religion, journalism, and the list goes on. A handshake, a story told out loud, a rumor spread, a verbal contract—these things are all ephemeral, subject to the shifting claims of their participants. But when it’s written? There for anybody who cares to read? Watch out: It’s on!

This is the supreme and almost mystical paradox for anybody wishing to tell his or her story—whether nonfiction or fiction—on paper. Until that story is written, it’s just Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s the rudest, cruelest awakening to telling your story in writing: Most of the time, you will feel like you’re failing. Like what you’re spewing out onto paper (or screen) is the lamest, most cliché, least thought-provoking material any moron could dream up. Like the unenlightened folks in Plato’s cave allegory, you’ll be writing shadows when what you want to write is all the distinctions and realities of flesh. You’ll read your words and feel like crap. This will happen a lot.

It’s the most painful thing about creating. Whether your creation is a memoir, a novel, a dance piece, a fashion design, a piece of music, or anything in between, it will often be the dimmest representation of what you can see and feel so clearly in your mind and heart. And—in case you missed it the first time—you will feel like you’re failing. This is a fact. The question is: Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, on my weekly call with my storytelling guide, Annie Hart, we celebrated some serious achievements in the power of storytelling and how impacting this journey has been for me. Last Saturday, I attended the National Council of La Raza national conference with Robert for our book From the Barrio to the Board Room. There was one other author there who didn’t leave his table the entire conference, while we didn’t sit at our table for more than 5 minutes. Why? Because we were out making contacts for five hours solid. Let me share why this was such a pivotal role in my growth. Read the rest of this entry »

The crux of writing a successful (interesting, moving, powerful, life-changing) memoir is, of course, being able to remember the experiences that shaped a certain period of your life. But you have to do more than simply recall those times. You need to be able to return to them in your mind and re-inhabit them in a uniquely visceral way.

What does that mean? It means not just remembering the first time you wiped out on your surfboard, but being able to feel the sting of saltwater in your throat as the current mercilessly tossed you; not just smiling at the thought of baking with your child, but actually tasting the brownie batter you two used to lick from the bowl; not just thinking of the horror of war, but once again hearing the wail of air raid sirens in the distance. Being able to capture these moments again—in your mind and on paper—is what Read the rest of this entry »

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jeanette Walls is a wonderful storyteller with a memory that makes me ooze with envy. The detailed recollection of her childhood is nothing short of astounding. I have to admit feeling angry through much of the book at the behavior her parents exhibit, but I trust that to be a rather typical response to this material. The narrative kept me rooting for a positive outcome and thankfully, the writing of the memoir itself is quite a triumph considering the long and torturous road she had to travel to find a sense of peace and control over her own life. A worthy read.

View all my reviews >>

It’s like the girl from Kansas said: There’s no place like home… that is, to evoke hundreds of memories, stories, and emotions that you can use for writing your memoir. (The second part of the sentence, Dorothy did not say.)

When it comes to memoir writing, there are few better ways to start pulling out your story than by thinking about home. All of your homes. Home is often where we’re most ourselves, where we experience the profoundest emotions, where the most treasured objects in our lives lie. When thinking about who you are and the path you took to become that person, ask yourself the following questions: Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a lot of memoir-writing advice out there. Some of it is good, some is completely obvious (and therefore unhelpful), and some crosses the line into stupid and potentially harmful to your story. A few choice examples of the latter:

Write only about positive experiences. Wrong! Writing a memoir is a courageous endeavor because it means that you’re willing to confront some of the mean, dumb, shortsighted, cowardly things you’ve done in your life. Confronting those experiences shows the reader (and yourself!) how you grew from them. They make for a well-rounded, honest—and therefore interesting—memoir, rather than one that bathes everything in an impossible glow.

You don’t need an outline—it’s your life story, after all! Um, okay. First off, Read the rest of this entry »