Travel memoir

Putting it all out there (my book, that is)

June 17, 2009

For the first time yesterday, someone other than me read Chapter Seven of my travel memoir. Well, I guess it wasn’t really the first time. Before I sent the chapter to my critique group, I had a slight panic attack, realizing I was about to make myself vulnerable by throwing my work out into the […]

Read the Rest →

Brainstorming a brilliant title

June 14, 2009

A friend recently asked me, “When you find the right title, will it hit you over the head? Will you just know?” I hope so, because I haven’t felt smacked by one yet. That’s why I’m turning to you: Wanna help brainstorm a title for my travel memoir? You’ll first need to know what my […]

Read the Rest →

You asked for it: More about my book

June 10, 2009

Readers of this blog increasingly ask: Can you tell us more about your book? Most of you know I’m writing a travel memoir about my solo journey through French-speaking Africa. It’s based on my travel blog, Inkslinging in Africa. I’m recounting my backpacking adventure, which took me overland through West Africa — across Senegal, Mali, […]

Read the Rest →

Sex? Redacted.

June 1, 2009

While working on my travel memoir this weekend, I wrote this paragraph: He softly kissed the corner of my mouth, then my jawline, then inched toward my ear, where he began whispering sweet nothings. At least, I assumed they were sweet nothings – his French words weren’t clear enough for me to understand. Then I […]

Read the Rest →

What makes my book unique?

May 11, 2009

A big part of selling my book will be convincing both an agent and a publisher that it’s unique, different than travel memoirs already on bookstore shelves. So from the beginning, I’ve asked myself: What makes my book unique? Travelogues written by women voyaging alone have become so popular, they’re practically their own genre (Think: […]

Read the Rest →