Writing Tough Stuff
Tips for writing the tough stuff in your personal essay or memoir
We all have some past life events that we’d rather forget. Yet, often, these are the very stories that keep nudging and bugging us to give them air and write them down.
Last year, I had one of those particularly hard-to-write personal essays. After many botched drafts, I came up with a way to finally write the story. Then, I penned and published a how-to, craft piece, Writing Tough Stuff: 5 Tips to Make it Easier.
Here’s an excerpt from that craft piece:
“Scary as they first seem, they (tough stories) can look and feel differently when you’ve taken the time to step back, self-reflect and then find the key–or keys–to unlock the power of your story. ..”
However, when it comes to unearthing our past traumas, expressive writing experts and researchers, including those at Harvard Medical School, urge caution, care and self-care.
Bottom line: If writing your story is making you physically upset or sad, then abandon that pen or keyboard and go practice a different form of self-care. Or just go do something that’s fun and will make you laugh.
Or I love this Jane Friedman article, Three Things to Ask Yourself Before Writing about Trauma.
Like all things, writing a painful piece is about timing and being honest with yourself about what you really want from your writing life.
Take a look at my creative writing workshops, including the session, “Truth or Dare? Writing about Our Families.”
Also, check out my list of wellness writing workshops for adults.