Writer and musician
Kia ora, Wishing you a peaceful, happy beginning to your 2026. That's me above, after a sweaty uphill stroll through the forest. Is finishing your book one of your New Year’s resolutions? If it is, now’s a good time to think about planning it into your routine. 30 minutes a day, a few times a …
Continue reading "The power of 30 minutes for memoir writers"
Kia ora, How’s that memoir of yours coming along this week? I get so inspired by the people I’m guiding to write their stories. Yesterday I took a monthly community memoir class and one person shared a funny, surprising, moving story that was built around her love of the humble banana box. Through a series …
Continue reading "Crafting the extraordinary around the ordinary"
Kia Ora, well hello there 👋 I write to you from stormy Tākaka. How’s that book of yours coming along this week? I’ll tell you what’s on my mind as I write and edit this week: loose ends. They’re everywhere in life, and memoirs and histories are no exception. When you reach the later stages …
Kia ora lovely, how are you? I had the pleasure of hanging out with a student of my online course Write Your Memoir earlier this week and she had come to a complete stop in her writing process. Although she was quite capable of writing her story - she was clearly an experienced writer, and …
Kia ora 👋🏼 If you’re new here, welcome! And if you’ve been with me for a while, it’s good to be with you again this week. Last week I invited people to share a small snippet of their story, a mere 100 words, so I could share it with others. And they did! Here’s (slightly …
Hello lovely 👋🏼 This is a very short post for those of you in who live in or near Nelson, New Zealand, to say that my course ‘Write Your Memoir in One Year - Nelson’ is due to start this Saturday, in Nelson City. If you’ve been thinking of joining, now’s the time. The important …
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Is there a story in you? But perhaps you’re too busy to write it? Or the idea of writing it doesn’t feel right? I’m your girl! I’m Charlotte and as well as teaching people to write books, my team and I have written 20 books for people. It’s been fun, and hard at times. We’ve …
Once you start diving into writing your memoir it’ll be almost as if you’re back in the times you’re thinking back to. It’s kind of like time travel. The more you focus on those times, the more details you’ll remember from those days - people, experiences and feelings will resurface. That’s why I recommend you …
Continue reading "Keep a notebook nearby for those 3 am ideas!"
Me with The Forge, singing one of my original songs at The Mussel Inn, 2023. After two decades of exploring this art, I am running a new one day workshop called ‘Become a singer/songwriter.’ This will teach you the basics of songwriting and singing it out loud, with a room full of supportive people. You …
This painting means the world to me. It sits in my bedroom, leaning against a wall and I guess, looking at it, no one would have any idea of the story behind it. https://youtu.be/9OGebSsVuEA You can watch and listen to this story on video if you’d prefer. I was very close to my grandmother. Her …
Keep writing. For me, writing is nourishment. When I make the time to write, I’m amazed at what comes out of me! It’s almost like I’m reading it as I write it, I never know quite what’s going to come out. I’m working on my second novel right now, it’s going to take me a …
Kia Ora from Aotearoa New Zealand! That’s me hanging out in the hills of the Rāmeka Valley, Golden Bay, which is incidentally the area I’m setting the fictional novel I’m writing. The Rāmeka is filled with history and is set up for adventure, risk and intrigue. These days it’s a popular mountain biking destination and …
Continue reading "Join Write Your Memoir this month for a free book cover and a discount"
Could this be the year you write your life story, memoir or family history? You can do it! And I have something for you, totally free, to help you get started. https://youtu.be/yOicMXgmB6E I’m Charlotte Squire, I live in Golden Bay, Aotearoa, New Zealand, and I’ve been a writer for over 20 years. During that time …
Continue reading "Introducing The Great Senior Kiwi Write Up!"
Me pondering repetition 🤔 Kia Ora! How are you and how is your story coming along? I’m writing beside a coughing, sneezing seven year old, ahh the joys of motherhood! Today I want to ask you if you’re repeating yourself in your story? This is very easy to do, and it can be subtle and …
Mōrena (good morning) from Aotearoa, New Zealand 👋🏼 When I was a news reporter I would often have to sum up complex stories in two paragraphs. It was hard. But there was one basic thing that would really help me. I didn’t learn at four years of university, or from being mentored by some experienced …
Continue reading "The vital writing lesson I learned when I was seven that you should know too"
Kia ora, hello! Charlotte here, tuning in from Tākaka, New Zealand, where dark and broody clouds have been hovering in the mountains, threatening to arrive all day. Today I want to tell you about the cool things you can include in your memoir, life story or history. The rule is: if you can scan it, …
Continue reading "Five interesting things you can include in your memoir, life story or history."
Charlotte Squire 