The Apocalypse Has Wi-Fi

So we might as well write

Do you ever wake up in crisis mode? This morning I found myself thinking, “I need to write my truth, but also, the world’s on fire and my cat just threw up on the rug.”

Let’s be real—it’s hard to write these days. Every time I sit down to work on my next memoir, another crisis breaks the news cycle. The world feels like it’s held together by duct tape and lies. So the little gremlin voice in my head goes:

“Why does my story even matter right now?”

But that’s exactly why our stories matter.

Frodo said he wished it had not happened in his time. I wish it weren’t happening in my time. I bet you do too. We didn’t get to choose the time—we can only work with the time we’re given.

As if in response to Frodo, Toni Morrison said:

This is precisely the time when artists go to work—not when everything is fine, but in times of dread. That’s our job! —Toni Morrison

Toni is right. When the world feels like a dumpster fire of bad news, we need the truth-tellers, the memory-keepers, the survivors with pens in their hands and fire in their bellies to write the hard truth.

Writing your memoir isn’t selfish. It’s survival work. It’s soul CPR. It’s saying, “I made it through this awkward, messy, heartbreaking experience—and here’s how.”

You might be writing about the past or current events. Heather Cox Richardson writes Letters From an American every night. She’s writing to someone one hundred years from now to chronicle what’s going on in the United States right now.

She reminds me of that song “The Story of Tonight” from Hamilton—a toast to telling the story now, for those who’ll read it later.

We never know for sure what record we’ll leave behind, but if we don’t write, we won’t leave any record at all. How sad it would be if those in the past had not shared their stories.

You might not be a historian like Heather Cox Richardson or Hamilton, but you still have experiences that you’re going through (or have been through), that are important to document for future readers.

Who would have imagined a girl both deaf and blind could have anything of value to tell the world—and yet, Helen Keller became one of the most profound voices of her time.

When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. ― Helen Keller

Your story might be the lifeline someone needs when they’re slipping under. It might not fix the world, but it can light the way for someone stumbling through the dark.

So yes, the world might seem to be on fire, but you’ve got a story worth telling—and it might just be the spark someone else needs to keep going.

And if you’re feeling stuck on how to tell it, or wondering where to even begin, I’ve got a little magic up my sleeve.

Framing Your Memoir Through the Fairytale Lens is my book for folks who want to turn their lived experience into powerful story—not just a list of sad events, but a transformational tale. Think of it as a vitamin drink to get you started on your memoir journey. It’s short and sweet, but full of food for thought to get your memoir juices flowing.

So it’s Memoir Monday. A good day to grab your favorite beverage and take a moment to figure out just one element to move your story forward. You’ll be glad you did. History has its eyes on you.