Today’s guest post is by Patricia Grayhall.
The box lay unopened in various closets for forty years. Then, while downsizing, I took out the journals and letters and began reading. The memories and feelings flooded back.
As I relived my personal journey in the late 1960s and ’70s—an illegal abortion, coming out as a lesbian, a woman training to become a doctor, and none approved by society—I realized that my experience has relevance beyond the personal, especially now.
But writing a memoir is as challenging as it is rewarding. Here are five lessons I learned along the way that I hope will help you when you have to write about hard things:
- It takes courage …
when you write about life events that have affected you deeply and may be associated with shame. A writer must face fear of humiliation and exposure. This fear was my greatest obstacle in writing about hard things and choosing to share it with the world.
However, this process of revealing our true humanity and struggle rather than the polished version of ourselves we often present on social media allows us to really connect with others. Continue Reading…
