Author page: Patricia

Amy Archer “[It] was more important for me to be honest than vengeful,” writes Anne Archer in her article entitled, “Writing the Truth in Memoir: Don’t Skimp on Objectivity.” Remaining objective, especially when we write about people who may have hurt us, is a difficult task, one which requires work and understanding. Archer points out several reasons…

One of my favorite writing exercises is to take a picture and describe it using words. This exercise helps me develop new ways to write about details and settings to help my reader understand the time and place of my story. Some popular sources of pictures to write about include the following: Facebook album…

Buona mattina dall'Italia! Bob and I are still in Northern Italy having an amazing time. I’ve been collecting such great stories from people who live all over the world, and I’ve enjoyed yummy seafood risotto just about every night. That alone would be enough for a great trip, but we’ve also seen some of the most…

In 1974, American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster, Studs Terkel's highly-acclaimed book Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do arrived on store shelves, providing readers with a timeless snapshot of American's feelings about working life.   Terkel (then in his 60's, by the way) went around the country interviewing people about…

This week’s writing prompt comes from page seven of my book Bringing Your Ancestors to Life. In my book, I talk about various ways to recall the people you want to write about, focusing on appearance, actions, and other key memories you can draw upon to create on paper the image of the person you…

Are you interested in a face-to-face, six-week class in Orlando where you will: attend two-hour classes for six consecutive weeks (day of week and afternoon/early evening sessions, depending upon class members' schedules) participate in a fun and lively class open to only six or seven members where you receive lots of personal attention receive one copy…

Fall is upon us. The season brings us autumn colors, holidays, and happy memories. One thing that also comes with fall—school. It may seem like such a long time ago or recent, but we all went to school and we all have stories from our experience there. What is your favorite memory about school? Who was…

I work with such wonderful people who have exciting stories to tell. This week, I want to introduce Terry Neuman to our readers; she is working on a fun collection of stories for her family. WYL: Can you tell our readers about your project? I finally completed the umpteenth draft of my memoir, Growing Up Schwartz. And why did I…

I work with many writers hoping to one day see their work in print, and I see how hard they strive to perfect their craft. If this is you, Writing Your Life would like to help. This week, focus on writing a short blurb of no more than 750 words and email it to patricia@writingyourlife.org so…

Genealogy connects loved ones to another in surprising ways, and this week, I want to share with you a story about the possibilities family history research provides. Gil Smith is a close family friend of Catheryne, my assistant. Earlier this year, Gil and his wife Karen purchased an Ancestry DNA kit, and their results were astounding.…