Is it time to write your memoir, life story or history?
I'm Kiwi writer, publisher and newspaper owner Charlotte Squire and I'd love to help
I was talking to an avid reader of my newsletters earlier today and she told me about her impressively long (90,000 words, after being edited down) story. She said it was quite dense with text. That got me thinking about something I often use to break up text, in memoirs, and anywhere I want to …
Kia Ora, hello there lovely, Iโm loving the cosines of winter. Weโve had a few days of rain and itโs been a great time to write, sitting as close as I can get to our impressively real looking fake fire, ha ha! Iโm most productive as a writer in the mornings. How about you? If …
Continue reading "When you write, and 100 words of your story"
Kia ora, If youโre new here, welcome! Iโm Charlotte, I live in Tฤkaka, Golden Bay, top of the South Island of New Zealand, with my family, and Iโve been a writer for decades - journalism, blogging, social media, reports, marketing, books - you name it, Iโve written it! And youโre here to learn how to …
Continue reading "Let’s get back to the basics memoir writer"
If youโd love a lot more support and guidance to write your memoir, life story or family history, join my online course Write Your Memoir (learn about it here) before August 1st to get: Access to my online course Write Your Memoir, which will teach you to write your story One on one support with …
Continue reading "Winter special on my memoir course! โ๏ธ"
Kia Ora, if youโve just joined me, warm welcome from a Tฤkaka writer. This week I want to invite you to take stock of how far youโve come with your memoir. Sometimes celebration is called for. I know some of you are making great headway, youโre persevering, despite some hard days, and youโre writing amazing …
Continue reading "Celebrate how far you’ve come memoir writer"
Did you ever think about writing your history as a fictional story? Meet Gerard Hindmarsh. He calls this โfactionโ - fiction based upon fact. I first met Gerad 20 years ago after I read his book Angelina - From Stromboli to D'Urville Island: a family's story.โ He wrote this story about his grandparents Angelina and …
Continue reading "Gerardโs book โAngelinaโ – where fiction meets factย "
Kia ora from my cosy kitchen, Iโve got curry and rice on the stove and the fake fire ablaze. Howโs that story of yours coming along? Iโm just about to finish a book for a client and weโre working on the cover. Weโve gone back and forth about it quite a few times, and I …
Well hello there dear memoir writer ๐ How are you and how is that story of yours? Yesterday I met with a student on my memoir course, for an online chat to make sure she had everything she needed. She shared a few pages of her story with me and once again I was transported …
Continue reading "Your โnormalโ could be someone elseโs ‘fascinating.โ"
Kia ora, Warm welcome to you if youโre new here, and good to see you if youโve been on this journey with me for a while. Iโve said it before, and Iโll say it again, itโs ok for the first draft of your story to be messy and imperfect. In fact, itโs kind of hard …
Kia ora, hello from a beautiful mild winterโs day here in Tฤkaka, New Zealand ๐๐ผ My mother and I have just walked a five year old, a nine year old and one prancy dog home from school. And speaking of steps, this week I was reminded of the value of them. Iโm starting an exciting …
Hello lovely ๐ This is Charlotte tuning in from Tฤkaka, Nee Zealand. How are you on this fine day? Howโs that story of yours? Today I want to share one thing with you that I talk about in module four of my online course Write Your Memoir - itโs about photo captions. Most people I …
Continue reading "Four things to include in your photo captions"
Hello lovely human ๐๐ผ This week I had the delightful experience of welcoming a new student to my memoir course, who turned out to be the daughter of one of the first people I ever wrote a memoir for. I remember writing about her childhood. She said her motherโs book had been a โGodsendโ, mentioning …
Continue reading "Deirdre’s wood chopping & two generations of memoirs"
Whitford Wharf - photo from Natalie Birch's personal collection Mลrena/Good morning from chilly Tฤkaka, How is your story coming along this week? Remember to keep taking small, imperfect steps towards your goal. I have a glimpse into memoir writer Natalie Birchโs world to share with you today, including the photo (above) of Whitford Wharf that …
Continue reading "Eel watching from Whitford Wharf & Nelson course starts soon soon"
Kia ora! How are you getting on with your story this week? Iโm in the final stages of pulling a book together for a family, about their beloved father. Weโre ticking off the very last details and Iโm feeling an excited pull towards the finish line, so we can get the book into their hands …
Kia ora, I write this a week on from ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) Day here in Aotearoa New Zealand. I spent that morning on the brink of tears. First there were the โTฤkaka Mounted Riflesโ, a group of people on horseback, in military uniform. They also brought a riderless horse, in honour of …
That's me - Charlotte Squire - on a mission to get more Kiwi elders writing their life stories, memoirs and family histories. Kia ora! I'm really excited to tell those of you who live in the top of the South Island that I'm running two in-person year long courses, one in Nelson (starting end of …
Continue reading "Write Your Memoir in One Year courses – Nelson and Golden Bay, New Zealand"
