I’m often asked about my journey as a writer. It began about eight years ago, after I had read several successful memoirs and knew I had an equally compelling story to tell.
But as a high school dropout, I felt ill-equipped to undertake such a project. I didn't have the slightest clue how to go about it. Thanks to my friends, who for years kept encouraging me to write, I finally put pen to paper and dove in. With their support, along with the help of numerous writing coaches, workshops, and editors, I managed to finish my book.
The following five memoirs not only inspired me to write my own, but also gave me great insight into the authors’ experiences, which parallel mine in many ways. All of them are brutally candid about their struggles and triumphs and address survival, rejection, and closure—themes relevant to my story.
Each book, written with humor and a compelling, unique voice, stands as a testament to the enduring human spirit.
But as a high school dropout, I felt ill-equipped to undertake such a project. I didn't have the slightest clue how to go about it. Thanks to my friends, who for years kept encouraging me to write, I finally put pen to paper and dove in. With their support, along with the help of numerous writing coaches, workshops, and editors, I managed to finish my book.
The following five memoirs not only inspired me to write my own, but also gave me great insight into the authors’ experiences, which parallel mine in many ways. All of them are brutally candid about their struggles and triumphs and address survival, rejection, and closure—themes relevant to my story.
Each book, written with humor and a compelling, unique voice, stands as a testament to the enduring human spirit.
 | Autobiography of a Face tells the story of Lucy Grealy, whose jaw is ravaged by cancer, leaving her disfigured and feeling that as a woman with society’s obsession with beauty, she will never be loved. Struggling with the cancer is difficult enough, but she also has to endure the stares and glares from others who ridicule her for something out of her control. |
 | Running with Scissors presents Augusten Burroughs’s journey of being rejected by his mother because of her mental illness and of going to live with his psychologist’s family, the members of which are more unstable and unconventional than those in his own. He discovers that as a homosexual teen, he must come to terms with his own proclivities while dealing with an extremely eccentric doctor. Despite his nightmarish upbringing, Burroughs manages to keep his sanity and sense of humor intact. |
 | The Glass Castle is so eloquently written, from the first moment when the author sees her mother digging through trash to her father’s alcoholism and pursuit of a get-rich scheme that never comes to pass. Jeannette Walls and her siblings display enormous resilience as their irresponsible parents schlep them from one state to another, their dysfunction increasing with every move. In time Walls musters the courage to strike out on her own and finds the family and financial stability she longs for. |
 | This Boy’s Life resonated with me, not only the amazing story of Tobias Wolff’s relationship with his loving and loyal mother, but also the time he spends with his cruel and downright nasty stepfather, whose berating and constant aggression makes his life intolerable. Wolff finagles his way into Hill School by creating a transcript of bogus academic and sporting accomplishments. He lasts a little over two years. Similarly, I became a student at a prestigious prep school, placed there by the state of New Jersey, not for my academic achievements, but for my need for structure. I was also kicked out after a few years because of my poor grades. |
 | A Boy Called It. Having been called Pig Face, Flat Nose, and countless other names due to my facial deformity, I empathized with David Pelzer and related to his isolation and loneliness, though I was never abused or subjected to the horrific mental and physical torture he experiences. I was inspired by his lack of censorship and his amazing inner strength and wit. Reading about his resolve as a child helped me put into perspective my own story of abandonment and the endless surgeries at the hands of a compassionless state doctor. |
Memoir Workshop
Have you dreamed about writing a memoir, but don’t know where to begin? Or did you start your memoir and are now stuck halfway through? Or have you finished your memoir and need help with the revision process?
On February 9, 2016, writing coach/editor Trish Wilkinson and I will be presenting a three-hour workshop in San Diego to help you:
Memoir: How to Write a Salable Personal Story and Enjoy the Process
We will provide the tools and techniques you need to boost your creativity and turn your personal story into a compelling read.
If you’re in the San Diego area, please join us.
Have you dreamed about writing a memoir, but don’t know where to begin? Or did you start your memoir and are now stuck halfway through? Or have you finished your memoir and need help with the revision process?
On February 9, 2016, writing coach/editor Trish Wilkinson and I will be presenting a three-hour workshop in San Diego to help you:
Memoir: How to Write a Salable Personal Story and Enjoy the Process
We will provide the tools and techniques you need to boost your creativity and turn your personal story into a compelling read.
If you’re in the San Diego area, please join us.
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