{"id":21624,"date":"2015-06-17T09:38:11","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T16:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/\/?p=21624"},"modified":"2015-12-11T09:33:38","modified_gmt":"2015-12-11T17:33:38","slug":"how-to-write-a-memoir-brenda-peterson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/how-to-write-a-memoir-brenda-peterson\/","title":{"rendered":"How to write a book memoir? (Brenda Peterson)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Get expert advice from<a href=\"http:\/\/www.brendapetersonbooks.com\/\"> Brenda Peterson<\/a>\u2019s newest book \u201cYour Life is a Book\u201d on how to write a memoir.\u00a0 Brenda is a seasoned writer, who has <em>written 17 books, which range from her first memoir\u00a0Build Me an Ark: A Life with Animals, chosen as a \u201cBest Spiritual Book of 2001,\u201d to three novels, one of which,\u00a0Duck and Cover,\u00a0was chosen by\u00a0New York Times\u00a0as Notable Book of the Year. Her new memoir, I Want To Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here on Earth\u00a0was selected by\u00a0The Christian Science Monitor\u00a0among the Top Ten Best Non-Fiction Books of 2010. \u00a0Find out about here newest book here:\u00a0http:\/\/www.brendapetersonbooks.com\/your-life-is-a-book\/<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.iheart.com\/widget\/?showId=25229902&amp;episodeId=27266595\" width=\"398\" height=\"224\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b>Find excerpts pulled from Brenda Peterson\u2019s book, \u201c Your Life is a Book: How to Craft and Publish Your Memoir\u201d <span style=\"color: #000000;\">co-authored with her long-time \u00a0New York City literary agent, Sarah Jane Freymann and published by Sasquatch press.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<h1><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">What is a memoir?<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>A memoir is like a love story, with all the ecstasies, disappointments, and turning points of any relationship.\u00a0 And at the end, you might be surprised to discover that the love of your life is \u2013 your life.<\/p>\n<p>Every memoir has one main theme\u2014your evolution as a person.\u00a0 And one main character\u2014you.\u00a0 This is the drama that drives the book.\u00a0 The question of a memoir is not just, \u201cWho am I?\u201d but \u201cWho am I in <em>this <\/em>story?\u201d (p3)<\/p>\n<p>An important key to remember if you want to publish is that the author of a good memoir is a guide who takes us on a journey, we end up feeling is also our own.\u00a0 As memoirist Kim Barnes writes, \u201cAt the end of a memoir, the reader should know more about himself than about the writer\u201d.<\/p>\n<h3>How is it different than an autobiography<\/h3>\n<p>Unlike autobiography, which obediently marches along year by year from birth to old age, a memoir may choose just one essential era of your life.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes a memoir will end at the apex of childhood, before the hormonal disarray and drive of adolescence. Other times, the memoir begins and ends with a war or an illness or a divorce. You may write for several years, following chronology, and then you realize your narrative arc is thematic, that your self-discoveries were learned most during crises or a relationship or a loss.\u00a0 That time period, then becomes the bridge of your book, a connection that gives the reader a pathway from meeting the writer to discovering what has shaped your perceptions and choices. \u00a0P 22<\/p>\n<p><em>HYPERLINK TO VIDEO INTERVIEW: <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Link to Interview Highlights: <\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=12m09s\">12:09<\/a><\/strong><\/span> What is a memoir? How is it different than autobiography? <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>How is it different than a blog post?<\/h3>\n<p>In a blog, your thoughts, stories, and epiphanies are instantly broadcast.\u00a0 There is little editing or rewriting or craft.\u00a0 Readers comment or criticize just as quickly.\u00a0 While this is very exhilarating, it can also distract, limit, and interrupt the serious memoirist.<\/p>\n<p>Blogs are great to jump-start a writer, to float ideas, gather an audience, and dash off daily stories or insights. But you\u2019ll find that if you collect all of your blog posts together, they do not equal a book or a memoir.\u00a0 They are pieces, not a whole For that, time and real reflection is required.\u00a0 Memoir is a craf, not a momentary realization. It builds chapter by chapter with an organizing intelligence always aware of the big picture.<\/p>\n<p>Even thought Brenda has a blog and write regularly for the Huffington Post, she advises her students when they have an idea: Write first, blog later.<\/p>\n<p><em>Link to Interview Highlights: <\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=18m36s\">18:36<\/a><\/strong><\/span> What is a misery memoir? A memoir must offer the reader a gift or lesson, a payoff, and not be a gripe session. <\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=20m00s\">20:00<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>What is a difference between a blog and memoir? A blog is a slice of life and window that doesn&#8217;t connect to anything else unless\u00a0 you have a themed blog.\u00a0 A blog is a one-sided conversation with a stranger. <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>How is it different than a personal journal?<\/h3>\n<p>(Note: Brenda writes about a personal journal. Note that a personal journal is the source of a memoir and is not the same as a memoi).<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re journaling about loss, death, illness, divorce or any other painful events that both detour and yet shape our lives, keeping field notes and journals or the raw, unprocessed pain can become the touchstone for your final well-crafted memoir. Writing a memoir can help heal our trauma.<\/p>\n<p>When we do the hard work of understanding the painful events of our own lives, we do not simply pass on the pain.\u00a0 We create something of service to others.\u00a0 We tell stories of the dark side of the moon, the e<\/p>\n<h2>How do you know if your story is worth telling?<\/h2>\n<p>Sarah Jane notes that some of the biggest inner critics she\u2019s reckoned with in helping her authors are the ones that say:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You don\u2019t have a good enough story<\/li>\n<li>You don\u2019t write easily<\/li>\n<li>Your grammar sucks, and so does your punctuation<\/li>\n<li>You don\u2019t have enough time.<\/li>\n<li>Fill in the blank with your own fears<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sarah Jane encourages writers to always answer #5, <em>Fill in the blank<\/em>, because the greatest challenge to writing is fear.\u00a0 As Sarah Jane tells her clients, having courage doesn\u2019t mean you aren\u2019t afraid.\u00a0 On the contrary, courage means doing whatever it is, despite your fear. P31<\/p>\n<p><em>Link to Interview Highlights: <\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=23m01s\">23:01<\/a><\/strong><\/span> How do you know that your life story is worth telling? Every person has a story to tell about their life and every person is worth writing about.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>What is the best process to follow if you want to write a book?<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n<h2>Where is the best place to start?<\/h2>\n<p>The memoirist must always find a way to begin her story, but memory is never chronological.\u00a0 So as Sara Jane advises her authors, \u201cStart anywhere. Because no matter where you start, you\u2019ll end up where you\u2019re meant to be.\u201d\u00a0 You might not have realized it yet, but your journey has already begun.\u00a0 Maybe you haven\u2019t written in down, yet you\u2019ve been telling stories most of your life.\u00a0 Not, you just need to make the transition from your head to your hand\u201d. P6<\/p>\n<p>Make sure to check out Brenda&#8217;s book here:\u00a0http:\/\/www.brendapetersonbooks.com\/your-life-is-a-book\/<\/p>\n<h2>More on Brenda&#8217;s book:\u00a0&#8220;Your Life as a Book&#8221;<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>http:\/\/www.brendapetersonbooks.com\/your-life-is-a-book\/<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Writing Memoir: Finding Your Voice BOOK LUST interview with acclaimed memoirist Brenda Peterson\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/__wZEYplBsA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What is the best process to use?<\/h2>\n<p>More important than where to start is discovering your writing process and how you learn about the world.\u00a0 Because that will determine how you can create a book about your life.\u00a0 In teaching and working with writers, we\u2019ve discovered that each person has a different process and that a writer may or may not be aware of her process.<\/p>\n<p>Every writer has different triggers, muses, and ways of knowing their worlds.\u00a0 You\u2019ll have a head start on your book if you can figure out how you\u2019ve learned you life lessons.\u00a0 Through illness? Through travel and play? Through the natural world and animals? Through trauma and drama?\u00a0 Through reach? Intimacy? Relationships? Work? Search for roots? Spiritual search?<\/p>\n<p>Identifying your process will help you more consciously create your life story.\u00a0 For many writers, it is only by writing their life story that they begin to see the patterns of how they process and learn about life.<\/p>\n<p>And whatever your process, never forget your audience.\u00a0 This is where the craft comes in.\u00a0 When you make meaning of what might, at the time, seem senseless, it keeps the reader involved\u2014we can hardly wait to experience what the writer will learn next.\u00a0 So the plot of any memoir is not just \u201cWhat happens next?\u201d.\u00a0 It\u2019s what more you\u2019ve discovered about yourself and the world around you. P9-10<\/p>\n<h3>What process did Brenda use in writing her books?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>What is high level process: Sticky notes, Diagram your life, break into themes, writing\/changing order, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Link to Interview Highlights: <\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=31m13s\">31:13<\/a><\/strong><\/span> What are the big steps in the process? Where should you start? Brenda shows the sticky notes and process she used for a recent book &#8220;I Want to be Left Behind&#8221; that includes sticky notes.\u00a0 <\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=38m50s\">38:50<\/a><\/strong> <\/span>How do you know what to distill and cut from your story? 39:40 How do you come up with a pattern? <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Do you have to write in chronological order?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><em>VIDEO HYPERLINK TO INTEVIEW: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=13m22s\">13:22<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>Arc of story for a biography and a memoir- Memoirs don&#8217;t have to follow a chronology. <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What does arc of a story mean? \u00a0What does it mean in the context of a memoir?<\/h2>\n<p>Agents and editors are always asking authors \u201cWhat is your life story\u2019s narrative arc?\u201d We\u2019ve both found that many memoirists have no idea how to shape their story with this forward movement and overarching structure.\u00a0 Many writers are just so happy to get their lives down on the page in some semblance of order that they don\u2019t understand that the reader has the same expectations of a memoir that they do of a good novel: a dynamic plot, character development, and captivating scenes.<\/p>\n<p>Often we cannot really know the narrative arc while writing a first draft, but there are things to keep in mind:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The plot of any memoir is the evolution of the self through time and events<\/li>\n<li>The main character of a memoir is the narrator (you!), but there are many other players in your life story. Develop them fully as characters.<\/li>\n<li>Every chapter should have some organizing theme or turning point that adds dramatic and forward movement to the whole book. Just because \u201cit happened\u201d doesn\u2019t mean it belongs in your story.<\/li>\n<li>Frame each chapter with an underlying theme or thread.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Resource: YOU TUBE BOOK LAUNCH at HUGO HOUSE for YOUR LIFE IS A BOOK: Learn about narrative arc in a memoir and finding your mature narrator looking back at the younger self. P 23<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LkxwKf2LD6o<\/p>\n<h3>What are different ways to tell the story (Themes, chronology, etc)?<\/h3>\n<p>When you create stories, they are always in search of an organizing principle, or narrative arc, often without our knowing.\u00a0 Think of the scenes as quilt pieces in search of a pattern\u2014what will became a story quilt. \u00a0Unless quilters begin with a design format, they know that sooner or later they\u2019ll have enough pieces to figure one out.\u00a0 When you write nonlinear scenes, a pattern may not be readily apparent, but you can sometimes sense a kind of organizing intelligence at work, or the hint of a pattern.\u00a0 This is your subconscious, and you should trust it as you would a lifeline.<\/p>\n<p>Who is connecting the dots? Every one of us has this hidden observer unconsciously tracking and remembering, and storing the scenes of our life.\u00a0 The memoirist is always in partnership with that hidden observer, and the trick of a memoir is to render subconscious observations in a conscious way. P15-16<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.\u00a0 So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future\u201d\u2014Steve Jobs, Stanford University commencement speech.<\/p>\n<p>All of these elements are threads that you can weave throughout your memoir. \u00a0If your memoir doesn\u2019t have enough of them, it will lack relevance and certainly not appeal to as wide as an audience as you would like. P19<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gender<\/li>\n<li>Race<\/li>\n<li>Class<\/li>\n<li>Culture<\/li>\n<li>Religion<\/li>\n<li>Location<\/li>\n<li>Food<\/li>\n<li>Sex<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201c The memoir multiples creates a million little connections, threading an otherwise fragmented postmodern world with the narrative of human meaning\u201d- Gutkind, L. (2008). Keep it real: Everything you need to know about researching and writing creative nonfiction. New York: W.W. Norton.<\/p>\n<h2>How do you find your voice? What are different voices?<\/h2>\n<p>Resources: MP3 Finding your voice by Brenda Peterson: <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/brenda-peterson-author\/finding-your-voice-the-music-of-memoir-podcast\">https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/brenda-peterson-author\/finding-your-voice-the-music-of-memoir-podcast<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Link to Interview Highlights: <\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=02m39s\">2:39<\/a><\/strong><\/span> What was Brenda saying to herself about herself in her memoir? Brenda shifted her memoir from a voice of a spiritual life with animals to becoming an animal and writing from that perspective. BONUS: We get to hear from her spirit animals in the show or have technical difficulties. I like to imagine them as animals \ud83d\ude42<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=06m04s\">6:04<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>How do you find your voice? Brenda shares how developing your voice takes a life time. Brenda describes how she writes with a singer&#8217;s voice. <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Prompts to use:<\/h3>\n<p>During the writing process, it may help to jump start your creative juices with some prompts. Prompts help you get you writing quickly.\u00a0 Check out a blog post written by Brenda Peterson and Sara Jane Freymann on some prompts.<\/p>\n<p>Read more:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.oprah.com\/spirit\/Writing-Exercises-Creative-Prompts#ixzz3dMIo7RNL\">http:\/\/www.oprah.com\/spirit\/Writing-Exercises-Creative-Prompts#ixzz3dMIo7RNL<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.oprah.com\/spirit\/Writing-Exercises-Creative-Prompts\">http:\/\/www.oprah.com\/spirit\/Writing-Exercises-Creative-Prompts<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>What version of the truth do you tell?<\/h3>\n<p>Brenda shares some ideas on how you tell the truth in your memoir and how to deal with your family members who do not like your version of your family story.<\/p>\n<p><em>Link to Interview Highlights: <\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=41m39s\">41:39<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>How do you deal with families who are unhappy with your version of your family story? <\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=43m15s\">43:15<\/a><\/strong> <\/span>How do you deal with truth and accurately telling very old stories that you don&#8217;t recall exactly?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Writing tips on Writing a memoir<\/h2>\n<h3>5 Questions to ask yourself:<\/h3>\n<p>One of the challenges of all writers is to commit to writing.\u00a0 Creating a safe place and structure are key in helping you focus on writing each day.\u00a0 Here are 5 questions from Brenda that you can ask yourself that will help in establishing your groove:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is your best time of day to write? When are you most alert and present? Keep a chart of these times and write them.<\/li>\n<li>Where is your most creative space to write? Do you need \u201ca place of your own\u201d?<\/li>\n<li>Who can support you as a kind of bodyguard to keep your writing time sacred? Your partner? A friend? Siri?<\/li>\n<li>How long can you go without reading a text, checking e-mail, or answering a phone? How much anxiety do you feel when you unplug? Can you ease that somehow?<\/li>\n<li>How will you reward yourself in small and simple ways when you succeed in creating writing time and space?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Link to Interview Highlights: <\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=47m17s\">47:17<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>Spiritual memoirs: Tips. Focus on the ?&#8217;s not the answers. Focus on the journey not the destination. Focus on people who inspired and taught you not necessarily what you are teaching.\u00a0 You are a doorway to other wisdom and a listener.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=47m45s\">47:45<\/a><\/strong><\/span> EAVESDROPPING: A fun exercise from the book to find your own voice.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Resources: How to get writing?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>http:\/\/www.brendapetersonbooks.com\/blog\/2015\/2\/5\/tips-for-writing-your-memoir-from-your-life-is-a-book-utne-r.html<\/li>\n<li>Fire it UP with CJ: Tips on procrastination from Creative Coach:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"5 Tips from Moving from Procrastination to Creative Genius\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NTLjy3dKgVo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Writing tips from Spiritual writer Dan Milliman<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Creative Compass- Writing your way from Inspiration to Publication\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d0cTJ5Rn1eQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Being focused at work:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Mindfulness Expert (Sharon Salzberg)<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Part 2 of 4: Mindfulness: Keeping focused and on task at work (Sharon Salzberg)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Mb0b43Q0zVg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Sylvia Boorstein- Meditaiton Teacher- Ideas to productively distract yourself.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sabbath: How our distracted minds find space? (Sylvia Boorstein)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/th4iaj599yo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Overcoming writer\u2019s block<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to overcome writer&#039;s block?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GdLbF0-zmr4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>Resource: Writing Memoir Tips and Exercises<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/brenda-peterson-author\/writing-memoir-tips-and-exercises-your-life-is-a-bookhow-to-craft-and-publish-your-memoir\">https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/brenda-peterson-author\/writing-memoir-tips-and-exercises-your-life-is-a-bookhow-to-craft-and-publish-your-memoir<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Download for free: <a href=\"http:\/\/newdimensions.org\/program-archive\/tips-on-writing-and-publishing-your-memoir-with-brenda-peterson\/\">http:\/\/newdimensions.org\/program-archive\/tips-on-writing-and-publishing-your-memoir-with-brenda-peterson\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Why write a memoir?<\/h2>\n<p>When you tell your story, an extraordinary universe is revealed.\u00a0 As a mature person encountering a younger self, you change. Past experiences, even poignant ones, enrich the present, because you are not simply observing and reporting-you are participating in reliving.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve ever had any doubts about your life\u2019s true purpose, writing your story will help you discover it\u00a0 (p-5)<\/p>\n<h3>Hyperlinks to Interview: Why write a memoir:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=1m06s\">1:06<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>How memoirs can help you get clear with your purpose? Growing your life spiritually and psychology. <\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=01m36s\">1:36<\/a><\/strong><\/span> Why write a memoir? A memoir helps you gain perspective on your life. <\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=07m59s\">7:59<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>What will you discover after you finish a memoir? Brenda describes how writing has helped others become kinder, more self-aware, more spiritual, happier and healthier. In writing a memoir, you will know yourself from witnessing yourself and others from a detached perspective. <\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=25m35s\">25:35<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>Brenda shares two incredible stories about how some of her clients have had physically healing through writing a memoir. <\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IzHZDq-EiP0?t=27m01s\">27:01<\/a><\/strong><\/span> CJ has a major aha about a memoir linking it to her spiritual wisdom. <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Resources: The benefits of writing a memoir:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Public Radio Link \u201cThe healing Power of Writing a Memoir\u201d: <a href=\"http:\/\/newdimensions.org\/program-archive\/the-healing-power-of-writing-your-memoir-with-brenda-peterson\/\">http:\/\/newdimensions.org\/program-archive\/the-healing-power-of-writing-your-memoir-with-brenda-peterson\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Memoir as a way to find happiness and wholeness: <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/brenda-peterson-author\/happiness-and-writing-memoir-from-your-life-is-a-book\">https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/brenda-peterson-author\/happiness-and-writing-memoir-from-your-life-is-a-book<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Get expert advice from Brenda Peterson\u2019s newest book \u201cYour Life is a Book\u201d on how to write a memoir.\u00a0 Brenda is a seasoned writer, who has written 17 books, which range from her first memoir\u00a0Build Me an Ark: A Life with Animals, chosen as a \u201cBest Spiritual Book of 2001,\u201d to three novels, one of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,500,58],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[1659,6722,6726,6718,1657,6724,6716,6715,1499,6721,6727,840,6723,1294,6725,6719,6030,6720,1005,6717],"class_list":["post-21624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-skills","category-music-writing-art","category-business"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_0313-compressed.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21624"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22632,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21624\/revisions\/22632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21624"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=21624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}