Well, folks, I’m almost at the end of my yearlong Memoir Incubator program. Tonight (January 5), we have one last feedback session for our Slot #3 writers. I’m excited to talk about my podmate’s beautifully written memoir. Our final Memoir Incubator class will be on Thursday, January 19.
Upon Reflection
A year ago, I started the Memoir Incubator with a bit of apprehension and definitely some resistance. I wasn’t confident the process my Peer Artist Leaders put forth was going to work. You see, I tried to write my memoir before and failed. In my first journal titled “Together We Write,” I end with the question: “Will I as a student in the Memoir Incubator succeed in writing my memoir by the end of 2022?” Turns out, the answer is “yes!” By September 2022, I put together a 70,000-word memoir. I wrote a book! I’m still amazed by that. Being a part of the Memoir Incubator community was what I needed to succeed.
Growing as a Writer in 2022
In addition to writing my memoir, joining the Memoir Incubator expanded my writing life in general. Including this one you’re reading now, I wrote 10 journals as part of my “Inside the Memoir Incubator” column. I wrote several blogs for PWN’s Writers Institute News section. I submitted personal essays to literary magazines 35 times! (And was rejected 35 times but I’m trying.) I went on a Writer’s Retreat, attended a Lit Fest, and read an excerpt of my memoir in front of a live audience at a Writer’s Showcase. What a year!
What Are My Next Steps?
Next, I plan to revise my memoir manuscript in the 2023 six-month Book Revision Lab program. Will I succeed at revising my memoir? I’m sure I’ll face the usual apprehension and resistance, but I’ll push through and get closer to making the book the best it can be. Stay tuned as this column transitions from “Inside the Memoir Incubator” to “Inside the Book Revision Lab.”