Brenda Peterson is a writing teacher and the author of seventeen books, including her first memoir Build Me an Ark, chosen as a 'Best Spiritual Book of 2001' (Spirituality and Health magazine) and three novels, one of which, Duck and Cover, was chosen by The New York Times as a Notable Book of the Year. The Christian Science Monitor selected her 2010 memoir, I Want to Be Left Behind, among the 'Top Ten Best Non-Fiction Books of the Year'. Sarah Jane Freymann is also a writing teacher and has been a literary agent since 1974. She is the founder and president of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, which has a strong commitment to serious self-help and spiritual books and she has worked closely with several authors whose memoirs have made New York Times Bestseller lists.
If I were going to write the story of my life, this is the book I'd
look to first and last for encouragement, inspiration, and
practical advice.
—Nancy Pearl, author of Book Lust
In this perceptive, practical, sometimes spiritual guide, the
discouraging mysteries of writing are clarified—both business-wise
and art-wise. It's the book beginning writers wish for, and
one veteran writers will be glad to return to, finding new insights
in every rereading.
—Nicole Hardy, author of Confessions of a Latter-Day Virgin
Your Life is a Book is terrific—a triumph of lucidity. It's
the book I wish I'd had on hand when I was writing a memoir, and
it's the book I'll definitely recommend to anyone planning to write
one. Peterson and Freymann thought of everything, and demystified
the difficult process of memoir-writing and soul-searching in the
most positive way. Bravo!
—Diane Johnson, author of Le Divorce and Flyover
Lives
This book gives you the firm, astute guidance of professionals,
mixed with the humor, encouragement, and advice of a good
friend—the perfect guide through the often difficult, delicate, and
ultimately rewarding journey to completing a memoir. I thoroughly
enjoyed it and even after writing two memoirs, I still learned
a lot.
—Teresa Rhyne, author of The Dog Lived (and So Did I)
Your Life is a Book is like having a personal writing
mentor and practical literary agent guide you every step of the way
in telling your life story. Inspiring, instructive, and most of
all, inviting, Peterson and Freymann share their own successful
writing and publishing experiences with warmth and wit. I wish I'd
had this book when I was writing my memoir!
—Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good, Pig
It’s one thing to write one’s innermost thoughts for the sheer
private pleasure of it. It’s quite another to adapt those personal
musings for public consumption. Crafting a memoir from the bits and
pieces of one’s life is a brave and daunting challenge and, like
every worthy endeavor, one best accomplished with a trusted guide.
Or two. Accomplished writer Peterson (I Want to Be Left Behind,
2010) and literary agent Freymann share their personal experiences
with the genre and offer valuable and practical tips about writing,
revising, agents, editors, and publishers that can only come from
those with years of insider access. From framing a narrative arc to
finding one’s own voice, their advice is spot-on: affirmative,
reassuring, inclusive, and accessible. Whether describing a
harrowing journey of self-revelation or airing the dirty laundry
that has piled up in the corners of dysfunctional family life, the
memoirist’s goal is to tell that story so as to enlighten both
writer and reader. With Peterson and Freymann as coaches, it is a
mission that most definitely can be accomplished.
—Booklist
Peterson (I Want To Be Left Behind) and Freymann (founder, Sarah
Jane Freymann Literary Agency) bring decades of experience to bear
on the subject of writing and publishing a memoir. Affable,
confident, and candid, the authors teach that the process, when
done right, can be a journey of personal growth, illustrating their
points with poignant examples and metaphors. Part 1, "Crafting Your
Memoir," introduces the genre and covers an array of topics: death,
abuse, family secrets, food, travel, spirituality, animals, and
more. The advice on what does and doesn’t work with each topic is
razor sharp and is the overall strength of the book. Battle-tested
tips, exercises, and prompts close most chapters, providing writers
an opportunity to practice and apply their craft. The second half,
"Getting Serious About Publishing," offers insightful
perspectives on blogging, agents, editors, handling rejection,
indie publishing, and more. Discussions of factuality, point of
view, drafting, and scenes are excellent but could be expanded.
VERDICT: This is a reassuring introduction to how writers should
approach their first memoir and an honest discussion of what it
will take to publish one.
—Library Journal
The process of writing about your past can lead to a boost in
self-acceptance, self-awareness and fulfillment. And while it's
true that not all of us have time to finish a 200-page manuscript,
filling in the answer to . . . three short exercises [from the
book] may help you face a difficult experience and recognize your
own strengths, personal growth and—yes—wisdom.
—Oprah.com
I’ve found Your Life is a Book to be one of the best
books I've read on how to engage in the writing process,
specifically the step-by-step process of writing a memoir worthy of
an audience.
—Joy Stocke, Wild River Review
. . . Your Life is a Book is a page-turner filled with insider
stories and ways to look anew at your own life story.
—The Mystic Wave
[Peterson and Freymann] offer plenty of insights gleaned from their
own experiences, such as "character evolution is the narrative arc
and plot of any memoir" and "for many writers, their work is also a
spiritual practice." To these ideas, they add the requisite writing
prompts, exercises, and publishing tips. Of particular note are the
lessons which Peterson and Freymann draw from the careers of
successful memoirists like Cheryl Strayed and Dawn Raffel. The
section on publishing is strong, with concrete tips from editors
and reviewers . . . eye opening for the aspiring memoirist.
—Publishers Weekly
“Exercises and prompts to help us connect to our stories, to
connect to ourselves.”
—Psych Central
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