For the past year, I've been working with a client on a wild ride of a project which I can *almost* share with you...

Until this book has an official launch page, though, I still need to keep it under wraps. But I can tell you it's a memoir that's been a lifetime in the making.

The author is a phenomenal storyteller with an amazing story, and it's been an honor to help him bring it to life. The book is touching, it's powerful, and it's captivating.

It's also been a whole hell of a lot of fun to write.

Case in point, back in January, I ended an email to him with: "PS: This is definitely the first time I've used the phrase "kicked the cop in the balls" in a professional email to a client, so thank you for that 😂"

And here's a text I sent the author last week, updating him on the copyediting status.

Writing memoir is a tricky beast.

Which I know many of you know, because you're working on your own.

Journaling is just for you. Memoir is for you—and for those around you.

The act of writing your memoir is both personally and collectively healing. It helps you get in touch with yourself, while also reaching out to those around you.

This client told me once about being 16 and homeless, trying to sleep through a brutal Philadelphia winter, not sure if he was going to live or die. He recalled hearing a voice in his head say, "Someday you're going to write this down, and it's going to help so many people."

Now he's in his 60s, and within a month he'll be holding his memoir in his hands.

And so will so many other people who need to hear his wild story.

Walking that tightrope of telling your story in a way that's authentic to yourself while also touching others' lives is difficult. That's why I was so excited to meet Janelle Hardy and hear about her incredible free event:

Dirty Messy Alive: Embodied Memoir-Writing Workshop Series

This is a free 4-day event that explores memoir-writing from start to finish through presentations from 30+ skilled memoirists and writing teachers. These sessions cover everything from outlining your memoir, overcoming writer’s block, craft, revision, promotion and more.

I'll be attending—partly so I can continue working on my own story, and partly to hone my chops for helping my clients work on theirs.

The series begins Monday September 28th, with 4 days of amazing workshops and presentations from 30+ skilled memoirists and writing teachers.

You can get all the details about the Dirty Messy Alive: Embodied Memoir-Writing Workshop Series over here, but as a quick overview:

• Dirty Messy Alive: Embodied Memoir-Writing Workshop Series will run from September 28th - October 1st
• Each day will be filled with sessions from amazing memoirists and writing teachers on various different topics:

Craft Of Writing:

Writing yourself as a character, how to write about real people in your stories who are different from you, the ethics of navigating writing about people in your family, community and culture, and more!

Embodiment & Support:

Sessions on writing for neurodivergent brains, creative focus, the connection between writer’s block and the nervous system, and more!

Audience & Promotion:

Sessions on how you can share your story, how to write stories people want to read, what it’s like to be a memoirist, and more!

Along with the sessions, you’ll also be invited to a private pop-up group to connect with other current and aspiring memoir-writers, ask the speakers questions, win prizes, and more!

​Get your free ticket for the Dirty Messy Alive: Embodied Memoir-Writing Workshop Series today!​

And if you want to know more about my client's insane life when his memoir comes out, keep an eye on your inbox! I'll have news to share later this month.

Talk soon,

Jessie