Category: Memoir Writing
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When Safety Returns, So Might I
The author reflects on the connection between illness and unexpressed emotions. They articulate that survival differs from true living and healing cannot occur in turmoil. The hope is for a future where safety allows for gradual healing, transforming feelings of dread into peace and restoring a sense of self and wellness.
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The Things I Wish I Could Tell Little Me
You won’t believe me, but you survive. Not just the day-to-day battles, but the long war. The years of being invisible. The times you wished you could disappear entirely. You survive it all. And one day, you write it down. You speak it out loud. You turn it into something more than pain. You turn…
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Three Last Names, One Me: Finding My Identity After Divorce(s) and Trauma
“I’m a free spirit who never had the balls to be free.”― Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail Names. They shape us, define us, and sometimes, they break us. I’ve carried three last names over the course of my life, each one representing a different chapter of who I was—or perhaps…
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Taking the Leap: Self-Publishing Regrets and What Comes Next
Self-publishing a memoir is a leap of faith. You write your story, put it into the world, and hope it finds the people who need to hear it most. When I published Smoking in Garages: A Survivor’s Story of Trauma and Resilience, I knew I couldn’t wait for permission. I had to take the leap.…
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Healing Out Loud: Why Telling Our Stories Matters
“Healing out loud because I almost died in silence.” Breaking the Silence: The Power of Sharing Our Stories For years, I believed my story was something to be hidden—too heavy, too messy, too much for the world to handle. I convinced myself that silence was safer. That if I didn’t speak about my experiences, they…
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Letting Go of the Fear of Being Seen: A Survivor’s Journey to Visibility
For most of my life, I was conditioned to believe that being seen was dangerous. When you grow up in a household where truth is inconvenient, where survival depends on keeping up appearances, you learn to hide—not just from others, but from yourself. I learned this lesson young. Narcissistic parents have a way of controlling…
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Braving the Unknown: My Path to Living Fully
My memoir ends on a hopeful note, but also a realistic one—life is still hard. My physical health continues to be a challenge, but for the first time in a long time, my mental health is stronger (in some ways) than it has ever been. Not because I’ve disconnected from my past but because I…
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They Say ‘Write What You Know’—Unfortunately, I Know Trauma
There are moments in life when you look around and realize that everything you thought was holding you together is actually tearing you apart. For me, that moment came after leaving an unhealthy relationship and finally recognizing that not only was my living situation making me physically ill due to a chronic illness I hadn’t…
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Fighting My Mind, Body & Soul: The Truth About Writing My Memoir
Writing a memoir isn’t just about putting words on paper—it’s about breaking yourself open, diving into the depths of your past, and resurfacing with something coherent enough that people can read it without needing therapy themselves (though, fair warning, I make no promises).
Jessica Woodville | Memoir & Musings 