How a Private Blog Became a Memoir that Resonated with Hundreds

Today on More to the Story Podcast: Returning Home, Rewriting Life — A Conversation with Chick MorganToday I’m talking with my client Eileen “Chick” Morgan, a writer, singer-songwriter, podcaster, cabaret performer, and arts entrepreneur whose creative life is as rich and layered as her memoir, Everything’s a Two-Step But a Waltz: The Reluctant Texan Comes Home.Chick spent decades building a global corporate career before eventually returning—reluctantly—to Texas. What began as a deeply personal, private email blog shared with a handful of close friends grew into a powerful story of heartbreak, reinvention, identity, and creativity. Over time, and through the guidance of structure, community support, and perseverance, her pages became a full memoir that has now been published in print, e-book, and audio formats—all produced within her own small arts-centered Texas town.In this conversation, Chick and I talk about her path from corporate strategist to artist, the years-long process of transforming fragmented notes into a cohesive narrative, and how returning home unexpectedly opened every door she needed to bring her book into the world.About ChickEileen S. (“Chick”) Morgan, PhD, is a writer, singer-songwriter, cabaret performer, podcast host, radio host, and arts entrepreneur. After a full career working globally with large companies and non-profits in leadership, strategy development, and execution, Chick now uses those skills as an arts entrepreneur, producing such experiences as Wimberley Alive! Arts and Music Festival; creating the inaugural Wimberley Storytelling Fest; Co-Visionary and Founder of Descanso Creatives International Writers’ Retreats, and Co-Founder and Board President of the Wimberley Literary Salon. Chick is an active musical performer in Wimberley, sharing her own songs and those of the American Songbook and Contemporary Cabaret in her musical groups The Cashmere Cowgirls and Women with Standards.Everything’s a Two-Step but a Waltz: The Reluctant Texan Comes Home is Chick’s third book. She previously published books about conducting business in the Soviet Union and navigating cross-cultural business ethics. She lives outside of Austin in the Hill Country town of Wimberley with her fiancé, Robert Smith, and their excellent canine companions, Chase and Najee.In today’s episode:* Chick’s background as a writer, singer-songwriter, cabaret performer, podcaster, radio host, and arts entrepreneur* How her return to Texas—after 43 years away—unexpectedly sparked the story* The “double-barreled heartbreak” that began the writing: losing her mother and her marriage on the same day* How a private email blog grew from 30 to 300 readers in six months* The moment she realized her story resonated far beyond her inner circle* The slow, intuitive method she used—Post-its on a long roll of white paper—to discover themes and shape the book* How coaching and deadlines helped her move from scattered scenes to an actual manuscript* Learning to bridge intuition with structure so the story became more than anecdotes* The role of community in publishing: how her local poet/publisher friend produced the print book* Creating the e-book and audio book with resources in her own town* What it felt like to publish vulnerable material in a small community (“I might as well walk naked through the town square”)* The surprise of how many readers related to her experiences: military life, Southern Baptist upbringing, Texas vs. New York identity, heartbreak* Her current writing projects:* A nonfiction exploration of long-term women’s friendships* A fiction project set in the artsy town of Wonderly, Texas* How memoir writing helped her find the emotional truth needed to write fiction* Where listeners can find her work, her newsletter The Reluctant Texan, and her cabaret performancesLinks mentioned in this episode:* Chick’s website → chickmorgan.com* Under the Gum Tree → underthegumtree.com* Book a free Book Diagnosis Call → moretothestory.co/bookdiagnosis* Download the Book Outline Formula Worksheet → moretothestory.co/bookoutline* Café Santoro — get 10% off your first order → cafesantoro.com/jannaFollow & Connect* Follow the show at: moretothestorypodcast.substack.com* Follow me on Instagram: @jannamarlies* Follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram: @undergumtreeQuestion for YouHave you ever had a moment in your creative life that felt like everything suddenly aligned? How has community shaped your writing journey?Share your experience in the comments—I’d love to hear from you! (AI Disclaimer: These show notes were generated by AI using the transcript of this episode.) Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe