WRITE! WRITE! WRITE!

I cannot tell you how many times over the years that I wrestled with the "Should I or Shouldn't I" tell my story. If you're a memoir writer, you ultimately have to decide whether or not you should tell the entire truth or leave the "not-so-good" parts out entirely. It's a tough call.

There were times during the editing process that I had to make these decisions. I know a few writers who completed their manuscripts only to decide to turn it into a fictional work, so as to not ruffle any family feathers. 

My thoughts are, when you finally put pen to paper, just go with the flow. Let it all out and find the cathartic beauty in writing. Don't go back and forth and second guess your work. Continue writing and then worry about the edit. If you're afraid that your dear, Aunt Henrietta will be upset over what you said about her, then either let her know first, or, just delete it. (I wrote about my Aunt Henrietta and I am sure she would've been amused with my recollections because she knew how much I loved her!)

In 2014, my wish is that you will set aside time to write -- Fiction. Non-fiction. Whatever genre you so choose...just DO IT!