31 Comments
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Thanks so much for hosting me, Sari, in a new section of your stack world, where I am hoping to meet new readers and writers. xxL

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Lucky me, getting to publish this. <3

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Feb 3Liked by Laurie Stone

Yes -- and fortunate us, getting to read it.

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Thanks so much!

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Great to have you here, Laurie!

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Hi to all on Memoir Land. I want to invite you to the next Zoom Conversation I am hosting on writing craft. It's on Saturday, February 24 from 3 to 4 pm EST. Everyone who signs up is invited to send ahead a specific question about their writing projects. This is a benefit to paid subscribers to my Substack, "Everything is Personal," and there is no extra charge. The Zooms are for subscribers at a monthly or annual rate, and today there is a discount of 25% off the usual price. To RSVP to the Zoom, please write to me here: lauriestone@substack.com. To subscribe to my Substack, please click here: lauriestone.substack.com/subscribe

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Feb 2Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

I love this story. So much to think about here, not least, your art. Thanks.

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So glad you liked it.

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Laurie, I love your checklist, especially "Fail to arrive" and "Remember to love something." So much writing has the love edited out. Loving and never arriving-- that's the story of an actual life, isn't it? Thank you for this wonderful burst of insight.

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You are so welcome.

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Feb 2Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

Thank you for this! I’m slogging away on a long project that has languished in memoirland for years. Recently I’ve let myself loose to fictionalize when I want, and it is indeed SO freeing! That used to feel like a betrayal of myself, my story, but magically (possibly just with age) I don’t see it that way at all now. Your checklist is gold- thank you so much for sharing

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author

Please consider coming to next Zoom conversation. This would be great to talk about in more depth and detail.

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Feb 2Liked by Laurie Stone

I’d love to join! Btw, just bought your book, Nothing Is Personal. It’s staring at me on my writing desk right now. The perfect distraction…

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author

How funny, it's Everything is personal . . . To come to the Zoom, you need to subscribe to my stack, and you need to send me an email to RSVP. The email is: lauriestone@substack.com. There is no extra charge for the Zoom for susbscribers. To subscribe, click here: lauriestone.substack.com/subscribe

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Feb 2Liked by Laurie Stone

Haha oops yes that’s the title- I need an editor ;) And yep I’m subscribed, but currently not a paying subscriber (awkward!) I’ll look into it. Would love to learn more from you

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That would be great. You can come with a monthly sub and cancel any time. FYI.

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Feb 2Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

Thank you, Laurie. Isn’t it funny how the mistakes we make are often inserting ourselves into situations too early out of a desire to be seen as a helpmeet, as necessary, or probably to see ourselves as helpmeets. Oh life! Oh learning!

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I think I just wanted to insert myself where I didn't belong. I have never learned to "read the room."

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Feb 2Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

Lord, woman! You are a person of so many parts. Wonderful thoughts here. I just wonder if you ever sleep.

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Not too much sleep. I'm glad you like the thoughts.

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Feb 2Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

I'm trying to write about my divorce and this notion of the story being more that "he done her wrong" along with what the important parts are, well, yeah. That. I have a scattered collection of writings and some of them are quite clear and hold water, and others are just... maybe they need more time.

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It helps hugely to take the needs of the human writing the thing out of the picture and think only about, What's in this for the reader? What pleasure, excitement, and surprise can I generate for the reader . . . if I ask the reader to look at me because something happened to me, the reader is going to say, I have better things to do with my time.

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Feb 2Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

Totally makes sense. And depending on the story, maybe it's enough to ask that question -- What's in this for the reader? -- or maybe there is such a thing as "Nope. Too soon."

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author

It may be too soon to have the detachment to evaluate if there is anything in it for the reader . . . but to me that is the only salient question in a piece I write or want to read.

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How can someone so young have figured out so much already. I just stumbled on this piece today and I’m gonna follow you. I love the way you tell truth truth.

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Young! I’m 100. Please come read me. xxL

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I’m reading away, sweetheart. What you just shared about your own process in your peace on the talented. Mr. Ripley is spot on description of the way. I make images now using my iPhone. Seeing if I can hear the thought that’s arising from what’s right in front of me and then follow it into the image with my editing process. I carry a lot of trauma about writing, so I haven’t been writing for years. I’m gonna watch you and read you and think about your process… maybe you’re writing drops the breadcrumbs I need to follow to get out of the fucking woods

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You can RSVP to me here: lauriestone@substack.com

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It’s delicious to get your responses so quickly. And thank you for the encouragement to join your zoom conversation. I’m gonna buy your most recent book right now and wallow around in it first. I’m teaching some classes myself right now and I’ve got too much on my plate to add one more rich conversation to my daily life. But I’m going to bathe in some more of your writing in the moments of free time I have this month. You’re a hell of a writer, Laurie. I’m counting myself blessed for stumbling across your piece today. “The problem isn’t him.”

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Please consider coming to the next Zoom conversation on writing craft. You can raise your question or comment about your practice. The Zooms are for paid subscribers to my stack. The cost is very low, and you can try the Zoom by subscribing for a month and seeing what you think. If you want to rsvp for the Zoom on February 24 from 3 to 4 pm EST

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My apologies I’m talking to Siri and she doesn’t spell well

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