I sit here on the patio gazing across the yard at the little stream, the birds hopping and playing and the squirrels chasing each other. While I still have to wear my jacket to be warm enough, I think spring is finally on her way. At this time last week, we had a Winter Storm [...]
Note: A memoir essay is just a story from your life that isn’t book length. There’s no rules about how many pages — 1, 2, 10, 100 — just not enough to make a book. Below is a memoir essay; a short one so you get the idea. I hope you enjoy it! It’s the [...]
It’s been a rough 3 years. Four moves in three years but each time, for the better. Ever notice how the “event” that changes your life seemingly happens instantly but the recovery process takes forever? Not a completely true statement but that is the way it seems — or the way it is perceived. One of [...]
I walked to the steaming coffee pot this morning, after a pit stop in the bathroom, filled my Mickey Mouse mug to the brim with the aromatic brew and headed to the front porch. Still a bit chilly but I was hoping the cool, crisp air would lift the fog that had settled on my [...]
Since staying with my parents, we have developed a routine of taking our morning coffee on the front porch and discussing past days and years and supposing what the future holds. Mom sits on the porch swing, me on the old bench from a defunct pizza parlor and dad in a chair. I look at [...]
Discombobulation — yup, that about sums it up. The mother in me is having a hard time dealing with “no kids” after our recent transfer from Florida to Indiana. Our daughter will be joining us again in August. My logical mind knows this but the emotional side of my brain is still mourning for the [...]
Moving is a pain but necessary for brighter tomorrows! Getting ready for a garage/moving sale tomorrow (5/21) and packing feverishly, so my online time is limited. My blog posts will be erratic at best until we get moved. I appreciate your continued reading! The good news is I am making new memories that I am [...]
Yes, I am finding that going through a similar situation, it gets easier. When we lost our business in the economic recession, it was like the end of our world. We were going through personal and business bankruptcies and keeping only family memorabilia. We sold everything else we owned to finance a move south in [...]
Life seems so much easier with a plan. Slow, comfortable and expected is a way of life for some people. However, my life has never been that way — I wouldn’t know what to do if it was! Fate, Karma and Luck have always had a lot of fun with me. If nothing else, I’m [...]
Memoir Examples Memoir comes in all different forms. Recently, I have been reminded of when my kids were younger. In exactly 52 days, my daughter, Haley, will become a high school graduate — and I will be catapulted into the next stage of my life whether I want to be or not — but that’s a different [...]
Where the Heck is Easy Street? Did I Miss the Exit? I hear on the news that the recession is over and things are improving. They have a different view from their window than the one from my small apartment. I thought I was on a parallel boulevard to Easy Street at one time: a small business owner [...]
The past couple of weeks have given me a roller coaster ride of emotions. Some I have cherished, others I will never forget and wish that I could. My dad had an emergency double by-pass on Sunday, February 20th. He came through the surgery wonderfully and was off the ventilator in record time. The prognosis [...]
Natalie Goldberg and Lou Willett Stanek agree that “I Remember” are the magic words for memoir writers. This means you can do your research from an easy chair — close your eyes and say “I Remember”. What comes to mind? What’s first and what comes next. The mind doesn’t always work in linear fashion. One [...]
My parents just left after a two week visit with my family and my brother’s family here in Florida. I miss them so much… already. Each time we say goodbye, I wonder if I will ever see them again. They are both in their early 70′s and have a few health issues. Mom is doing [...]
One of the great things about life is all the choices we are able to make everyday. One of the bad things about life is all the choices we are able to make everyday. Contradiction? Sure. True? Sure. Writing, for me, is a way to get my thoughts and feelings out. It’s therapeutic, cleansing and helps [...]
Getting people started writing their memoirs is usually the hardest part. Once the dam is broken, sometimes it’s hard to stop! The easiest way I have found is to lead by example. We all have stories that make up our lives — good, bad and indifferent. Read someone else’s story and you know what happens? [...]
That’s a loaded question, I know. I was chatting on the phone with my mom this evening when something she said reminded me of an incident that happened some 32 years ago. I remember we lived in Arlington, Washington at the time (the state, not the cemetery) and mom was getting dressed up to go out [...]
So many different songs spark memories for me. Most of them are good, fun or loving as is the feeling I get when hear the song – Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel. I ran across it while searching through YouTube the other day and just sat back, listened and remembered. When I [...]
To be included, really included not just for the sake of appearances to feel like I belong I am searching, have searched but have never found a home or friends for a lifetime why do I care why do I go on searching, hurting and caring? maybe I am too needy care too much what others [...]
Mamaw was born in 1919, and died in 1987 at the young age of 68. Mamaw was a character. She was the wife of a Kentucky coal miner, made cornbread on top of the stove in a cast iron skillet and could kill a chicken with a swift jerk of her wrist. Her complexion was [...]
It’s funny, in this technology ridden world, I still prefer to curl up with my spiral notebook, a pencil and coffee or a coke to write. I write a rough draft and then refine it as I type it in the computer. I know this is redundant and would be faster if I just typed [...]
A couple of months ago, I had a lot of fun putting together an article about myself. It’s titled: Curious Facts and Life Experiences About Me. I thought I would post an excerpt of it at here my memoir blog so you all can get to know me, a bit at a time. Click the [...]
In this rat race, fast paced, bad economy times, sometimes it’s hard to stop and count your blessings. It’s much easy to list what is wrong in our lives than to see what is right. We have had a rough couple of years in the Sears’ household and sometimes I find myself hosting a pity [...]
This is an interesting topic when it comes to memoir. All of us have been through an incident in our lives where we were the victim, whatever the circumstance. Is it possible to write without sounding like a whiner or having the violins play in the background? I set out to research ways to combat [...]
I was messaging with PennyJars aka Victoria Flynn the other night through Twitter. We make jokes, encourage each other and just have fun. She asked about the memoir I was writing. I told her, as most writers, I have a lot of them started but the one I am working on the most (when I [...]
Hi there! Welcome to my Writing Life Story blog. Putting your experiences and stories down on paper is one of my passions.
If you are interested in writing life story too, join me on the journey of discovery, learning and the how-to's of memoir writing. Check back often and comments are always welcome.
Mandee
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I have written all my life — some poetry, some personal essay, some memoir stories (longer than essay). I enjoy reading non-fiction as well as fiction. Life is about learning
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