writing

What happens to a dream deferred?

There was one about a blind date. There was another about keeping kosher, but sneaking BLTs. And then there was one about our family's store surviving the Great Depression thanks to help from a friend.

"Did my wife put you up to this?" Carlos Fuentes asked me when I insisted he wear a tie for our (AARP VIVA's) on-camera interview and cover photo shoot. Fuentes, an elegant soul, a gentleman, and a literary master, was also stubborn as a mule. I say this partly as a compliment, for I too am…

Let me start by telling you this is not what I had intended to write about this week, but after several twist and turns on Tuohy Turnpike 101, I did a Dukes of Hazard slide and changed directions.

Check out these tips from AARP on how to write about your life story, whether it be a memoir, personal essay, or something entirely different. This simple advice can send you on your way to a beautiful piece to share with your loved ones, or a best-selling book to share with the world! Here's one:

Abigail Thomas has a thoughtful piece up on AARP on writing a memoir, saying, "To write a memoir, cultivate the habit of listening to yourself." Not only does she talk about her own personal journey towards and through memoir-writing, but gives us inspirational advice on how to tune into our inner writer, step by step.