The why and how of "Keeping Spirits Alive" through writing memoir. Who is she—your mother—deep down inside? How will she be remembered? Why does it matter? Join Lynn Cook Henriksen on a compelling journey, as she shows you how to discover your mother’s individuality and write to tell about it. "TellTale Souls Writing the Mother Memoir: How to Tap Memory and Write Your Story Capturing Character and Spirit" has the power to move people and change awareness. “If you could tell just one small story that would capture your mother’s character and keep her spirit alive, what would it be?” You’ll find secrets to answering this question via intriguing prompts and exercises throughout the guide’s Five Acts - steps to success - interwoven with 40 memoirs by TellTale Souls who have walked this path. Want to wrap your mind around a bold, new take on the art and craft of writing memoir? The Mother Memoir is a special kind of memoir and the only place to begin. Your relationship with the person you call mother shaped who you are and the color of your world, like it or not. That, in itself, shapes the contour of your writing. With TellTale Souls you’ll find a truly innovative, non-academic teaching approach that makes writing memoir doable by helping writers of any level access memory and create true and telling tales in just a few pages. From a new perspective, Henriksen guides you to that tender spot deep inside to locate striking memories, and then to turn the hint of fragrance; the turn of a phrase; the hum of a tune; the flash of an eye; the back of a hand; or a fragment of family ritual into a remarkable short, true story about your mother. This is where those new to writing will find the writing process demystified, and professional authors will encounter abundant food for thought and techniques to get their creative juices flowing. Either way, before you know it, you’ll find yourself digging deep into the essence of your mother’s spirit and writing about her in ways that define her character as never before. "TellTale Souls Writing the Mother Memoir: Tap Memory & Write Your Story Capturing Character and Spirit" is the culmination of well over a decade leading workshops and story salons. The heartfelt responses from people exploring their most intimate memories and intense feelings, molding them into stories, and enthusiastically sharing them, struck me dead center. Through their laughter, tears, and spirited thanks, I got it, and this book was born. Ultimately, the essential elements that make up the bond between mothers and their daughters and sons reflects the universality of the maternal soul and the significance of connecting, through stories, with people from all walks of life. REVIEWS: “Rarely does a book carve out a unique place for itself within the hallowed halls of writerly advice and wisdom, yet Ms. Henriksen has fearlessly stepped into uncharted, original waters with TellTale Souls Writing the Mother Memoir… this a book for me to recommend… and one to keep on my desk as a reference tool to inspire my writing moments. TellTale Souls brings to mind both Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg and Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle. It is destined to be one of the classics required to complete the journey for writing the truth and writing it well. I’ve discovered a new favorite that incorporates all the aspects of writing I trust and believe in—spirituality, memory, passion, and the power of story!” — River Jordan, author of Praying for Strangers: An Adventure of the Human Spirit “Tell Tale Souls Writing the Mother Memoir is a gentle guide that invites you to explore the terrain of mother-child relationships, a journey of wisdom, courage, and heart. In every chapter you’ll discover tips and techniques that invite you to breathe life into stories about your mother and times gone by. This book is a true memoir writer’s companion.” —Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D., author of The Power of Memoir, How to Write Your Healing Story
Lynn Cook Henriksen is all about "Keeping Spirits Alive." She discovered a profound way to keep our mothers' spirits alive after witnessing Alzheimer's disease ravage her mother's mind. She has helped hundreds of daughters and sons capture in brief memoirs the memories and feelings they never thought they could record; for that they christened her The Story Woman and a blog was born.
An intuitive leader and writing coach of story salons and workshops, Lynn knows tapping memory and learning to write with honesty about intimate, often trying, relationships is the most valuable form of writing. To demystify writing memoir and make the journey more available, she wrote the guidebook: TellTale Souls Writing the Mother Memoir: How to Tap Memory & Write Your Story Capturing Character and Spirit.
The tears, laughter, unique voices, and thank-yous from the spirited writers she has come to know will forever reside in Lynn's heart and soul. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
