International Memoir Writers Association is excited to announce Nancy O’Sullivan as our March 2023 Member of the Month!
Please take a minute to read Nancy’s interview with IMWA Board Member Janet Hafner.
- How did you first discover IMWA?
I found IMWA in 2020 when I had time to write. I signed up for Marni and Tracy’s Memoir Certificate class in January, stepped away in March, and returned the next year to complete the program.
- Have you always been a writer?
In my senior year of college, I took a creative writing class for fun as I completed my “serious” classes in Literature and History. That creativity felt like play. It was exciting and made me happy. From that point on, I wrote poetry and fiction. When possible, I took courses, joined writing groups, and went to workshops to learn more about the craft. At one point, I dreamed of earning an MFA in poetry but veered away from that dream to attend to practical needs like earning an income. For many years I was a technical writer for a nonprofit.
I’m now in my third phase of life and realize life is finite. I am motivated by the knowledge that if I am to develop my craft and tell my stories, I must do it now. I have returned to writing that is creative, personal, and important to me.
- What impacts do you think writing classes and workshops have made on your writing?
When I first signed up for the first class of the Memoir Certificate program, I knew I wanted to write again, but I wasn’t sure I had any creativity left. With Marni and Tracy’s encouragement and the camaraderie of class participants, I was able to trust that my creativity was still there and writing was indeed my craft. In the memoir classes, I learned how to structure stories and develop authentic character arcs, and I watched my writing voice emerge. Participating in the Memoir Certificate program gave me confidence, new writing skills, and a caring and supportive writing community.
- We’d love to hear about your writing projects.
I am working on a memoir that follows me through my fifties as the parent of a teen father. The memoir is about family, women’s roles, aging, the tug of war between family, career, and personal goals, and grandparents raising grandchildren. It is a story of crashing through expectations, rolling with the punches, and learning to accept human frailties, loss, and messiness as an ordinary part of life.
- Who are your favorite authors? Favorite memoirs?
Anthony Doer and Janet Fitch are favorite authors for their brilliant use of language, attention to detail, and carefully woven stories.
- What advice do you have for new writers?
Persevere. Find a supportive community. Read widely. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Learning new skills is difficult, and you are probably used to success. Ask for help when you need it.
- Nancy, please tell us about the memoir you’re working on and some of the challenges you’ve overcome.
Just as my husband and I began to imagine the creative possibilities of an empty nest, our teenage son and his girlfriend became parents—twice within a year. My memoir follows me through this chapter of my life as I overcame my initial surprise and shame about teen pregnancy and committed to doing whatever it took to help the young couple flourish as adults and parents.
- Please let us know how we can reach you.
I’m on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nancy.l.osullivan.5