Hi everyone,
Welcome to the Brave The Page book club. I’m so happy you're tuning in and enjoying the book so far! This week, we are chatting about the first chapter, “Collecting Memories.” I knew this would be an important chapter because when folks are writing and healing their stories, memory recollection is often one of the big questions that arise. I begin the first paragraph speaking to this…
"I want to heal my stories, but where do I start?” It’s one of the first questions people ask me when they want to dive into their story healing. They ask with voices shaking in longing and anticipation. I give the same answer every time, without hesitation: start with your body, start with your earliest memory, or, as Anne Lamott writes, “start with your childhood.”
As a trauma survivor and someone who has been writing memories and personal stories for as long as I can remember, I know the complexity that comes with this invitation. Memories can feel like missing puzzle pieces. That’s why I began to break down why memory is fragmented and how we can begin to gather the pieces to form a cohesive whole. Have you known this feeling with writing about your past? Has it made you feel stuck in writing stories? You are not alone. I have three prompts from this chapter for you to engage with. You can choose one or all to focus on.
I look forward to hearing what they awaken in you.
+ The first prompt is to write about your body’s earliest memory. Even if this memory is later in life, that is okay. Notice the big theme and how you feel after you write it.
+ The second prompt is to write your earliest childhood memory. Again, this might be later in childhood. Even if it seems insignificant, that earliest memory serves as a key theme for many experiences that show up later on. What does this early memory reveal about various feelings or experiences later in life?
+ Lastly, the Timeline prompt is at the end of this chapter. I break this down in detail in the book, so check it out and give yourself at least an hour for this prompt.
If you haven’t yet, you can order your copy (print/ ebook/ or audiobook) from wherever you buy books.
Sending love and chat soon,
Megan
I have a writing workshop that you are invited to, inspired by this first chapter. It’s called Writing the Missing Puzzle Pieces Workshop.
I will open with a reading from the book. We will chat about the importance and complications of writing memory, and there will be space for a powerful writing prompt to engage this important topic, and a Q&A about the book and this subject.
When: Sunday, 5 pm PST, June 22nd
Where: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87977891711?jst=2
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My book, Brave The Page: How Writing Our Hard Stories Brings Healing and Wholeness, speaks to the sacred heart of writing tender stories and is now available! Get your copy and begin writing to heal your life.
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