#004: Anna Wilson — Writing About Grief and Bringing Your Whole Self to Your Writing

Apr 16, 2022

50:48

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As writers, there may be times when we must delve deep into the harder ‘themes’ of life - that of grief and loss. How might we start to write about loss and in what medium - a blog? Or a book? And where do we begin? How can we be vulnerable on the page? Join our conversation with Anna Wilson, as we talk about the craft of writing memoirs, having the confidence to tell the truth, and the mindset that has enabled her to write 50+ books.

Anna Wilson is the author of over 50 books for children and young teens. In 2016 she started her blog Good Grief about mid-life, loss and new beginnings. This eventually led to her memoir A Place for Everything which tells the searing account of a mother’s late-diagnosis of autism – and what it means to care for our parents in their final years. Anna is also an editor and lecturer, a tutor for the London Lit Lab and the Writer's Block in Cornwall and for the Arvon Foundation.

SHOW NOTES:

[03:53] Anna's love for swimming and how it helped her deal with grief

[06:23] Anna's struggle to write during lockdown

[08:16] How Anna chooses the themes for her books

[11:23] On pitching ideas

[14:42] Anna's blog and how it started

[19:42] How to move from draft to a polished piece + Anna's writing practices

[23:03] What to include and what not to when writing a memoir

[24:56] How Anna decided to write a book about her mom and dad

[27:09] Why Anna suggests reading other people's memoirs

[30:29] Anna shares what the book A Place for Everything is about

[33:39] On being vulnerable in your writing

[37:24] Anna's advice for someone who wants to tell the truth

[38:29] On how Anna came up with the title for the book

[41:21] Why having a good relationship with your editor is important

[44:39] Anna’s favourite writing exercises

[46:10] Pigheaded attitude and being disciplined as a writer

QUOTES FROM ANNA:

“I think it's quite a pigheaded attitude. I think you have to be pretty disciplined. I love Margaret Atwood when she says, “Show up, show up, show up. And the muse will too.” In other words, don't talk to me about, oh, I'm just waiting for the muse to come. I'm just waiting for that moment when I'm going to feel writer-y, and then I'll write something. Now you've got to show up every single day.”

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Anna Wilson

Twitter: @acwilsonwriter

Instagram: @acwilsonwriter

Website: acwilsonwriter.wordpress.com

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