Comments on: Guest Post: How Writing Helps to Heal

By: Klatsch: Your Favorite Memoirs | Meryl.net

Klatsch: Your Favorite Memoirs | Meryl.net — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:28:25 +0000

[...] like I need an memoir education beyond the fabulous guest post from Linda Joy Myers. Bet many others want to know the same [...]

By: Out of the depths of my Reader « Ulla Hennig’s Weblog

Out of the depths of my Reader « Ulla Hennig’s Weblog — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:12:11 +0000

[...] How Writing helps to Heal Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Going back to University for eight WeeksThree Blog Posts which really made me ThinkThree blog posts which made me thinkJust wanted to say a BIG thank you….. [...]

By: Meryl

Meryl — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:07:55 +0000

@Lynne, what a delightful description you wrote. I am sure Linda’s advice will help you soar more.

@George, your friend will benefit from Linda’s words. Thanks for forwarding.

@Garangtua, thanks for sharing your experience that writing has helped you. It’s good to have the research to back it up, doesn’t it?

@Nadine, what an incredible discovery! I wish my grandparents had left some writing because I can’t begin to repeat the stories they’ve told me without messing up my facts. I have kept a journal since 1989, but it’s more focused on activities in my family and life.

@Linda, thanks again for the guest post and provoking a great discussion!

By: Meryl

Meryl — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:03:32 +0000

@Holly, I agree — we learn something new everyday.

@Renee, I love your description on how writing helps you.

@Kendra, yes, Linda does a wonderful job in showing us how to weave the two sides together.

Thank you all for your comments and stopping by.

By: Nadine Feldman

Nadine Feldman — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:31:10 +0000

When my mother-in-law died, we discovered a series of journals she had written over a 20-year period, along with articles on the healing power of writing. She would write about bad dreams, problems from her childhood (poverty and dysfunction), and then follow up with entries about ideas for creating new art–she was primarily a visual artist, and by writing her life, she could clear the decks to make her art. What an amazing gift she left us! Me, I discover my truth in my journaling–the most significant item was when I realized that a marriage was over from reading my journals. Powerful stuff.

By: Gargantua

Gargantua — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:51:49 +0000

I’ve always known that pouring my feelings out into the written word makes me feel better. It has been a sort of release, whether I’m writing in my journal or transforming my experiences into a fictional world and characters. I am pleased to know that research is confirming what so many of us already knew. I find it interesting to know that not only does writing help mental health, but physical health as well.
.-= Gargantua’s blog …The Storytelling Striptease =-.

By: George Angus

George Angus — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:27:01 +0000

This is great. I’m forwarding to a friend working on her memoirs at the moment.

Kudos to you both.

George
.-= George Angus’s blog …Read An E-Book Week =-.

By: Lynne

Lynne — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:48:24 +0000

Writing gives a strong concrete voice to the colors that paint the palette of my soul. Words strip away the veils in my life. Once exposed, I have felt how “light” descriptive/peaceful/loving writing has enriched me as much as expelling bitterness and anguish. In recent years, I discovered that others enjoyed my humorous writing and word play. Through my writing in all genres, my self-confidence has sometimes become a skyscraper. I continue to reach for “over the rainbow” through my writing and art.

Thank you, Linda. I like the organized and structured, yet sensitive way these writing suggestions are proposed. I look forward to implementing these personally and professionally.

By: Kendra Bonnett

Kendra Bonnett — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:47:42 +0000

Linda Joy, I like the way you continue to advise women on ways to deal with the tough issues. I especially applaud your suggestions for balancing the dark with the light. When we have bad things happen in our lives, it’s common for us to focus on these and come down very hard on ourselves. Taking time to find and herald the good times/events/activities is a very healthy approach. Thank you for advocating this.

And thank you for the great interview you did with Matilda Butler and me last Friday. As you know, we’re posting the audio of that conversation question by question, all week long. Here’s the link to the latest post, which is your suggestion for turning vignettes into a full-blown memoir: http://bit.ly/9bDgJC .
.-= Kendra Bonnett’s blog …Author Conversation with Linda Joy Myers, Part 2 =-.

By: Linda Joy Myers

Linda Joy Myers — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:17:51 +0000

Yes, writing truly can shine light into the darkness, and sometimes it offers relief even when we didn’t know we were lost! Writing unravels the secret selves inside us, revealing and exposing layers of truth, insight, and wisdom that seem to be hiding unless we follow the trail of words.
Thank you for your comments Rennee and Holly.
.-= Linda Joy Myers’s blog …Today, Wednesday March 10, 2011, Linda Joy Myers, Author of the Power of Memoir and National Association of Memoir Writers President and Founder, asks “How Does Writing Help You?” =-.