Writing to Save Your Life: How to Honor Your Story - Softcover

The initial publication date on this book was September 10, 2011, the day before the world changed its views on safety and America shifted its global priorities. I had a book signing the night of September 11, set up months earlier at Women & Children First, an amazing independent bookstore in Chicago. A dozen people came, all of us distracted and confused. I remember worrying about leaving my boys home alone with a babysitter that night, myself scared to drive, afraid to be away from the comforts of home. We watched President George W. Bush address the nation on a small television the owner brought out from the back office at the end of my signing. We all huddled nervously.

That sorrowful day marked a momentous historic event, a tragedy that could not be immediately understood and may never be fully comprehended in any context of time or place. So much has been written by so many from thousands of different vantage points about September 11, that it serves as a reminder that each of us owns our own view of history. And that each personal view--as long as it is authentic--is valid.

In the decade since this book first appeared, I have been affirmed that authentic, genuine, truthful writing is key to understanding of one's life and one's place in the world. I know myself that if I do not write often, I feel at a loss, uneasy, missing something key to who I am. And I understand from readers and my Writing To Save Your Life memoir workshop participants that writing has helped them through great difficulties and also helped center them in gratitude in times of great joy. But it must be truthful, not embellished or fabricated, as has been the case in recent years of many discredited memoirs.

Using her background as a journalist, assistant professor of journalism, author and storyteller Michele Weldon masterfully outlines the steps for you to tell your own story, whether it is a memoir or essays for publication, or an articulation of your truth for yourself. With her trademarked method of Scribotherapy, she offers insights, lessons and examples of writing to forge a clear path to understanding and clarity.

" I find this book to be a unique and amazing gift with direction for those of us who love to write. It's fantastic, eye-opening. and offers a deeper understanding of yourself." --Goodreads


"Writing to Save Your Life is like sitting on the verandah with a much loved friend who encourages and affirms your need to write your life. Every time you see her, your friend reminds you of the importance of your story, not for publication or fame and fortune, but for the healing that occurs when you write your truth. " -- Story Circle Book Reviews


"Yes, Writing to Save Your Life is a book about journaling, but it is also not a book about journaling, because Writing to Save Your Life expands beyond the usual topics of therapeutic journaling to writing the truth of our life stories, with courage, power, and conviction." -- Amber Lea Starfire


" If you want inspiration and courage for your writing life, this is the place to look. I especially like the writing exercises, which strike me as fresh, authentic and thought-provoking." --Amazon.com