Elizabeth’s journey as a memoirist and advice for writers

Podcast conversation with American memoirist Elizabeth Wilson

https://www.motivatecollective.com

Show Notes

 

Keywords

memoir writing, personal growth, trauma, authenticity, self-care, writing community, creative process, vulnerability, life changes, storytelling

Summary

In this conversation, Melanie Suzanne Wilson and the American memoirist Elizabeth Wilson explore the transformative journey of writing memoirs, discussing the challenges and healing that come with sharing personal stories. Elizabeth shares her experiences with trauma, divorce, and the importance of authenticity in storytelling. They emphasize the need for self-care, the value of community, and the significance of consistency in creative endeavors. The discussion highlights the messiness of life and the importance of embracing vulnerability in writing, encouraging listeners to start their own journeys without waiting for perfection.

Takeaways

The process of writing a memoir can lead to profound personal healing.

Authenticity in storytelling is crucial; it should be messy and real.

Consistency is key in building a writing career and community.

Self-care is essential when writing about trauma or difficult experiences.

Finding a supportive community can enhance the writing process.

It's important to embrace vulnerability and share imperfections in stories.

Writing can be a powerful tool for processing and understanding trauma.

The journey of writing is often nonlinear and requires patience.

Balancing creative work with personal responsibilities is a common challenge.

Starting your writing journey doesn't require perfection; just begin.

Titles

The Transformative Power of Memoir Writing

Navigating Life Changes Through Storytelling

Sound bites

"We want real, not perfect."

"The writing process opened my eyes."

"Writing memoir will change your life."

Chapters

00:00 The Journey of Memoir Writing

03:04 Navigating Life Changes and Writing

05:53 Finding Community and Connection

08:18 The Impact of Trauma on Writing

11:13 Creating Authentic Narratives

14:10 Building a Writing Career

17:20 The Importance of Consistency

20:17 Embracing Vulnerability in Storytelling

23:14 The Role of Self-Care in Writing

26:10 Journaling as a Tool for Reflection

28:54 Writing About Trauma

32:03 Balancing Life and Creative Work

34:54 The Seasons of Creativity

37:35 Empathy in the Writing Process

40:52 The Messiness of Life and Writing

43:37 Final Thoughts on Starting Your Journey

Transcript

Elizabeth Wilson (00:00)

I love that and good on you for just moving forward and showing up and doing it and putting it out there. Like you said, even if it's not perfect, we don't want perfect, we want real. And if that's not the premise of writing memoir, like I don't know what is. So beautiful way to like bring that in.

Melanie Suzanne Wilson (00:17)

Really?

Look, I'm getting so many conversations that are fate and you are one of them. This is incredible because I thought about writing a book a few years ago and I wrote maybe two thirds of it and then I thought, the journey isn't finished. There's another chapter that hasn't happened yet that needs to go in and you've probably heard people say that by the sounds.

Elizabeth Wilson (00:35)

Mm-hmm.

I that. I lived that. ⁓

Melanie Suzanne Wilson (00:43)

What was, okay, we'll start with that. What was your experience with thinking, I have a bit more to live before I can write about it.

Elizabeth Wilson (00:51)

So nothing has altered my life and brought me more healing and richness and just massive change than the process of actually sitting down to write my memoir. And it was during the memoir writing process that I actually got divorced, which changed a lot of the tone of the memoir. One of my main themes running through the memoir is loneliness. And I was really focused in the book on writing about

the friendships that would come and go, the communities I lost when I moved or left a job, and even the ways that connection to others shifted in motherhood