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

Send us Fan MailThis 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 EpisodeWendy’s essay on Insider.comBlake Snyder’s Beat SheetA Writer’s Secret Weapon: Add a Listening Pass to Your Editing ArsenalMaking Meaning and Writing Toward Posttraumatic Growth with Lennie EchterlingNatural ReaderEpisode Highlights5:00 Writing Present Tense with Perspective6:00 Writing to Heal vs Writing for an AudienceMaking Yourself the Hero of Your Story19:42 Wendy’s Best Writing AdviceConnect with WendyWebsite: https://WendyHawkes.comInstagram: wendyh_aquataniaBuilding 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 | LinkedInProduced by Espresso Podcast Production