How to Tell My Story Without Sounding Like I’m Playing the Victim

Send us Fan Mail This week, you will hear from Wendy Hawkes, an emerging writer working on a coming-of-middle-age memoir about how she survived category 5 Hurricane Dorian, a storm whose intensity was due to climate change, and how this experience taught her to go with the flow. During our conversation we talk about how to write tough scenes without overdramatizing them or falling into a victim role, and how to decide which details truly belong. Wendy’s Bio: Wendy Hawkes (she/her) is an American emerging writer currently crafting a memoir based on her experience surviving Category 5 Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. She is a member of the National Association of Memoir Writers and has been published in Insider.com. Her personal essays have achieved finalist status in various competitions, including second place in the Writer’s Digest 2023 Personal Essay Contest. Wendy sails and writes alongside her British-born husband from their floaty home while avoiding oncoming storms amidst ever-present boat chores, sporadic diving and snorkeling, and exploring tropical islands. Resources Mentioned During This Episode Wendy’s essay on Insider.com Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet A Writer’s Secret Weapon: Add a Listening Pass to Your Editing Arsenal Making Meaning and Writing Toward Posttraumatic Growth with Lennie Echterling Natural Reader Episode Highlights 5:00 Writing Present Tense with Perspective 6:00 Writing to Heal vs Writing for an Audience Making Yourself the Hero of Your Story 19:42 Wendy’s Best Writing Advice Connect with Wendy Website: https://WendyHawkes.com Instagram: wendyh_aquatania Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/ Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/ Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Produced by Espresso Podcast Production