life writing

A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Discomfort

October 10, 2011

Have you ever noticed how some people are able to tolerate a great deal of discomfort and pain, while others yelp or yell or complain about the slightest little things (or at least that’s how it seems to you)? Discomfort is a term that covers a wide range of emotional and physical responses, from the [...]

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A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Diligence

October 3, 2011

For my eighth birthday, my mother presented me with a used, Royal typewriter and a dogeared college typing text. Though I’m sure I received many other gifts that birthday, these are the only ones I remember. I don’t think I was a particularly conscientious child — in fact I’m positive I was not — and [...]

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A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Reflections for the Future

September 19, 2011

I have just been reading Writer Magazine’s June 2011 interview of Gail Godwin, regarding her recently released The Making of a Writer, Volume 2: Journals, 1963-1969. Godwin’s purpose in publishing her edited journal entries is to inspire other writers by sharing her journey and growth as a writer, as well as how she mines her [...]

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A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Using Your Journal for Memoir

September 12, 2011

Journal writing is good for so many things: emotional catharsis, sorting out problems, recording life events, self-reflection, and personal growth. It is also a writer’s tool, in which we write about our characters, explore possibilities, and practice writing dialog. Often, though, we don’t make use of previous entries. We mull over things in writing, and [...]

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A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: How We Labor

September 6, 2011

Yesterday we celebrated Labor Day in the U.S., a day of tribute to the working class in recognition of the contributions they (we) make to the *”strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” Although no one knows exactly who first proposed the idea, we’ve been celebrating this holiday since 1882 (legislation making it an official [...]

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Author Interview: Kate Farrell & Wisdom Has a Voice Project

August 11, 2011

Today, I have the privilege of interviewing Kate Farrell, founder and editor of Wisdom Has a Voice, a multimedia memoir project in which women write about their relationships with their mothers. Watch the following video of the interview (in 2 parts), or scroll down and read Kate’s answers to the interview questions. Transcript: AS: Kate [...]

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A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Letting Go

July 19, 2011

I have a teenage son, which means that I am continually forced to balance my need for control with his need for independence. You’d think I’d be used to this dance by now — he’s my fourth — but as I’ve discovered, each child is a new experience. One day, when this son was still [...]

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