Writing your life story be a healing process – even if you have zero intention of ever publishing it. But many people who want to write don’t know how to get started. We talk to expert storytellers Allison Fallon, author of “Write Your Story,” and Sandi Marinella, author of “The Story You Need to Tell,” to give us some expert writing insight and advice.

This episode was made possible by generous support from Ken Stevens.

In this episode, we talked to:

• Allison Fallon is an author, speaker, and founder of Find Your Voice, a community that supports anyone who wants to write anything. In addition to her books “Write Your Story: A Simple Framework to Understand Yourself, Your Story, and Your Purpose in the World,”“The Power of Writing It Down: A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life,” “Packing Light” and “Indestructible: Leveraging Your Broken Heart to Become a Force of Love & Change in the World,” she has ghostwritten 11 books and has collaborated on countless others. She has lived all over the country in the past decade but now lives in Nashville, Tenn., with her husband and two kids, Nella and Charlie. You can follow Allison at allisonfallon.com.
• Sandra Marinella is an award-winning writing teacher and author. She has taught story-sharing and writing to thousands of students, professionals, and cancer patients for over three decades. When she faced breast cancer, Sandra turned to her personal writing as a way of healing. The experience inspired her to teach “writing to heal and transform” to patients, veterans, and those in life-altering situations at many nonprofits and hospitals, including Mayo Integrated Medicine in Phoenix. As she watched expressive writing transform lives, Sandra wrote “The Story You Need to Tell,” acclaimed as the go-to-guide for writing to heal and grow.

Purchase “Write Your Story.”

• From Bookshop.org.
• From Amazon.
• From Barnes & Noble.

Purchase “The Story You Need to Tell.”

• From Bookshop.org.
• From Amazon.
• From Barnes & Noble.

We talked about:

In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:

• Structure can help. Writing and crafting your narrative can be a healing process, but for many people, it’s not as simple as putting pen to paper and just letting your thoughts flow. Many of us need a structure or framework to enable us to translate the feelings in our bodies to the written word.
• Reclaim your story. If you’re experiencing writer’s block, it might be because the topic is a trauma that you’re not quite ready to write about yet. And that’s OK! But once you are ready, writing it down can help you reframe it and heal from it. This can also help you reclaim your agency and tell your own story — rather than having someone else tell the story about you.
• You’re the flawed hero of your story. If you’re considering penning a memoir, you may feel strange referring to your flawed self as the “hero.” But the hero is simply the main character who is transformed by the problems they face. Problems are essential, and often, the juiciest part of the story. You may not be “heroic” or make perfect decisions, but you were changed by your experience. When you begin to see your life through the lens of narrative structure, it can help you reach resolution.

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This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.