Last week, I began working my way through Jennie Nash’s new book, Blueprint for a Memoir. I have long been a fan of Jennie’s, and I read her first two books in this series, Blueprint for a Book (for fiction) and Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book. Since I am revising a memoir draft, I found this her most helpful book yet.

Fourteen steps form the blueprint. This book doesn’t apply to people who are writing memoirs for family or other personal reasons. The subtitle of the book is How to Write a Memoir for the Marketplace. (more…)

This post is the first in an occasional series of recommendations for writing tools I’ve found useful. This first installment is for writers who are considering book-length storytelling, in prose or verse. It’s a group of tools I learned from writer, editor, and book coach Julie Artz.

As of today, I’m completing a seven-week Intensive Revision online course with her, in a cohort of 12 students. In seven weeks, we learned the tools to revise successfully. Now the hard work of actual revision begins. I am ending the class with confidence, direction, and momentum. (more…)