Linda Joy Myers

Join Grant and Brooke for today’s episode, a celebration of memoir and an exploration of what makes this genre so magical. This week’s guest is Linda Joy Myers, President of the National Association of Memoir Writers, who shares about the genre she loves, what draws people to memoir, why it’s important, and why people should write their stories. And, Brooke and Linda Joy are teaching some memoir classes this fall that we invite listeners to check out at: www.magicofmemoir.com.

ABOUT LINDA JOY MYERS

Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D., MFT, is president and founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers. Her first memoir, Don’t Call Me Mother: A Daughter’s Journey from Abandonment to Forgiveness, was a finalist in the ForeWord Book of the Year Award and the IndieExcellence Awards, and a BAIPA Gold Medal award winner. Her new memoir Song of the Plains is a finalist in the Best Book Awards. Author of The Power of Memoir—How to Write Your Healing Story, Journey of Memoir, and Becoming Whole, her prize-winning fiction, nonfiction, and memoir pieces have been published in literary journals and online. She is co-author with Brooke Warner of Breaking Ground on Your Memoir. Linda Joy has been a therapist for 40 years, where the power of story is part of the healing process. A memoir coach for two decades, Myers helps people dive deep into writing their truths while crafting a publishable story. Her monthly programs on NAMW offer writers tools about breaking silence, developing a powerful story, and finding the best publishing path.

The Takeaway

Linda Joy teaches memoir students an exercise called TURNING POINTS, which is the act of collecting meaningful moments, life-changing moments, and putting them on a timeline. If you’ve been thinking about writing a memoir, or even just toying with a true story, start with your turning points. What are the significant moments in your life and when did they happen—in chronological time and in relation to one another? Take a stab at writing 10-20 turning points and see what comes up.

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