Kia Ora, well hello there lovely, Someone recently asked me why people write their memoirs and life stories and I had to pause, because in my memoir focused brain, there are so many reasons! One big one is the value of passing on the stories of your life, so that children and grandchildren are able …
How to keep going when you hit a roadblock in your story
Kia ora lovely, how’s your story going this week? I write to you from the Dangerous Kitchen cafe, Tākaka, where they have the best smoked salmon pizza in all of the world. Have you hit a roadblock in your story? Perhaps you need more information. Maybe you’re writing about a chapter of your life that …
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Why you need to treat memoir writing like your new part time job (if you want to finish it)
Kia Ora, Are you mid-way through writing your story but struggling to finish it? I know some of you are, because it was the top problem you told me about, when I asked you what the hardest thing was about writing your memoir a few weeks ago. So! Here are three habits I’ve learned to …
Tell me about your mother?
The longer I’m a mother, the more I appreciate mine. As you know, they come in all shapes and sizes, and motherly approaches. Some love to do it; some do it because they should; and others just don’t feel cut out for it. Some are not biological mothers, but they willingly take on the mother …
Your before and after
Kia Ora! A memoir writer once told me she was writing her story because she wanted her children to learn who she was, before they arrived. She wanted them to know that she had travelled the world and lived a big life pre-children. She also wanted them to know about the way she was raised, …
The value of 30 minutes
Kia ora, Wishing you a fabulous start to 2025! Here we are at the first chapter of the year again 😉 So now’s a good time to ask you: Can you spare 30 minutes a few days a week to write your memoir? Think about it, the average person can write nearly 400 words in …
Celebrate how far you’ve come memoir writer
Kia Ora, if you’ve just joined me, warm welcome from a Tākaka writer. This week I want to invite you to take stock of how far you’ve come with your memoir. Sometimes celebration is called for. I know some of you are making great headway, you’re persevering, despite some hard days, and you’re writing amazing …
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Does your book cover matter?
Kia ora from my cosy kitchen, I’ve got curry and rice on the stove and the fake fire ablaze. How’s that story of yours coming along? I’m just about to finish a book for a client and we’re working on the cover. We’ve gone back and forth about it quite a few times, and I …
1st book emerges from my online memoir – Jill’s story
Today I would like to honour a lady named Jill. I met her when I was giving a free online memoir talk at an Auckland library. She shared honestly with the group that she had lost her beloved husband Phil to Alzheimers. She wanted to write a book about it. She felt he had been …
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