These Are Our Stories
By Christine Gordon Manley
My guests have all taken this journey and are in one stage or another of the life writing process. Some have published books out in the world. Others are still in the drafting stage. Some are writing books, but others are sharing via blogs/social media, poetry collections, essays, and even live performances.
We all have stories. These are ours.
These Are Our StoriesOct 27, 2023
How to Minimize Hurt When Telling Your Story
When the real people in your life become characters on a page, emotions can get involved. This episode explores dealing with possible negative reaction of those featured in your story and talks about how you can protect yourself from any legal action.
Mo Duffy Cobb - Unpacked: From PEI to Palawan
In 2008, following the stillbirth death of their second child, Mo Duffy Cob, along with her husband and their two-year-old child, left PEI to travel the world. In this episode, Mo shares with us how writing a travel memoir helped her in her time of grief.
Your Publishing Options - Traditional, Self, and Hybrid
If you’ve drafted a manuscript, what are your next options for publication? In this episode, we’ll chat in depth about all the pros and cons of traditional publishing vs. self, with a nod to the hybrid model.
Jacqueline Greer Graham - Almost Full Circle: From Montserrat to Canada and Back-ish
In 2022, Jacqueline Greer Graham self-published her memoir about identity and home; about moving from the Caribbean Island of Montserrat to Toronto, Canada, as a child, and what it means when you can never quite go home again.
Buy her book on Amazon here.
Check out her socials
Getting Clear on Your Focus and Message
When crafting your piece of life writing, being aware of your intended focus and message can help shape your content and keep you on track. This episode gets into what I mean by these two words: “focus” and “message,” in the context of life writing.
Jodi Lewchuk - Life Writing Through Blogging and Social Media
Not all life writing is shared via a book! In this episode, Jodi Lewchuk chats with me about the world of digital life writing.
Autobiography, Biography, Memoir, and Life Writing: What Are They?
These terms often get mixed up, so this episode clarifies what we mean when we say “autobiography,” “biography,” “memoir,” and “life writing.”
Kim Lee - The Swinger in the Mirror: My Secret Life
“Kim” and her husband “Kaleb” lead a secret life as part of being in the Lifestyle. Kim’s memoir explores the hidden world of swingers, but more than that, it also dives into what drives relationships and how can we come back to each other when trust has been broken.
You can purchase The Swinger in the Mirror on:
Check out TheSwingerInTheMirror.com and follow her on
Our Life Stories: Why We Want to Write Them and Why We Want to Read Them
What compels us to write down our life experiences and share them with others? Why are we so driven to read the stories of other people’s lives? In the first episode of These Are Our Stories, I’ll explore the lure of life writing.
Introducing These Are Our Stories!
These Are Our Stories is a podcast that dives into these stories. What drives people to share raw, personal experiences (and not always happy ones at that)? Where does this need to chronicle our life experiences come from? And how can we share them?
My guests have all taken this journey and are in one stage or another of the life writing process. Some have published books out in the world. Others are still in the drafting stage. Some are writing books, but others are sharing via blogs/social media, poetry collections, essays, and even live performance.
There's all kinds of creative ways to share your story!
Your story matters. Your experience matters. And along the way, you’ll get to meet some pretty interesting people and hear all about their story. Because we all have stories. These are ours.