“I was much more vulnerable growing up than I thought I was… I thought it would be interesting to tell the story of what it was like to grow up unsupported… I think if I had had that support, I would be in a different place now. I do think that people – especially women – telling their stories of growing up in an era when “autism” wasn’t a term used for anyone other than children who almost couldn’t be communicated with… is important. I wanted to tell the story of what it was like to be that girl.”
Hi friends,
The Cost of Caring is a series of intimate conversations at the intersection of our caring and creative lives. In this episode, I’m joined by
who is a Nan Shepherd Prize longlisted nature writer, poet and creative writing facilitator based in north Yorkshire. She writes Notes from the Margin here on and you can read the post that prompted our conversation here:
Wendy’s debut memoir, The Ghost Lake, was published in August and you can buy it, as well as Wendy’s poetry collections, here. You can also pre-order Wendy’s new collection, Blackbird Singing at Dusk right here. Isn’t it gorgeous?
Wendy is my Portobello Literary stablemate, so if you’re not already subscribed to our agent,
, take this as a PSA. Caro is sharing all kinds of behind-the-scenes gems on their new publication from how to make sense of publishing contracts to the craft of writing (and selling!) non-fiction so very much a useful Substack to subscribe to if you are a writer, just saying.
Plus a reminder that spots are filling up for January 2025’s run of Memoir in a Month, which you can find out all about here and join the waitlist by clicking this button:
Please make sure you pop your email address into the form so I can get back to you and confirm your spot and payment. This course is limited to eight writers so that everyone can get the time, attention and space they need, no matter what stage of the life writing journey they’re on.
Here’s more info…
Join me and a small group of writers in a compassionate, supportive online space to explore the craft of memoir over five weeks. Through readings and exercises, you will develop your premise, find your unique voice and explore different aspects of the life writer's craft from structure and form through to characterisation and the ethics of life writing. You will also work on the nuts and bolts of writing, including how to choose and use a variety of narrative framing devices and how to write dialogue. Each writer will be invited to book one 45-minute tutorial with me to discuss their WIP, the chance to submit written work for feedback and we'll be joined by a special guest reader who will share some of their own work and stoke our collective creative fire.
On our final session, we'll join together in a sharing ceilidh to celebrate the month's work and our time together.
When? 7-9pm GMT on five consecutive Wednesdays:
January 15th, 22nd, 29th
February 5th, 12th.
Where? Zoom, Substack Chat and Google Classroom.
Each two hour session will give you the tools you need to work independently across the week, whether your goal is to begin writing a memoir, make progress on a WIP or polish up an existing first draft. I’m also bringing my knowledge of writing for publication, querying agents, submitting work to competitions, working on book proposals and submitting to editors and will be open to questions throughout the month in our dedicated Classroom.
What’s the investment?
When I confirm your spot, free or monthly subscribers will be invited to upgrade to the Founding Member tier which costs £175 and includes a year’s access to all the Membership benefits (normally £50 for an annual subscription). If you already have an active annual subscription on a special offer coupon, or want to discuss a payment plan then add that to your notes on the waitlist. Happy to chat.
And finally, in the Cost of Caring series for December…
The December instalment of the Cost of Caring series will feature a conversation with
talking about chronic illness and caring for a spouse. It promises to be an incredibly rich and powerful one, so don’t miss it.In the meantime, catch up on the rest of the series right here, where you’ll find conversations with
, , and among others.Back on Wednesday with a guest post from the IG guru,
. Can’t wait to share her wisdom with you all.Lindsay x
In conversation with Wendy Pratt