Dancing in My Nightgown: The Rhythms of Widowhood
Author Betty Auchard tells of her process of grieving after her husband’s death through a series of short stories. As she moves through the days, months, and eventually years, she emerges into an expanding world of people, places, and opportunities that she embraces.
She organizes her stories into six sections beginning with her husband’s death (called He’s Gone) and ending with her re-emergence (called Ready for Romance). These stories illustrate how joy and laughter can be mixed with sorrow and sadness in a story. She manages a delicate balance and a varied pace that keeps the reader emotionally involved and yet never overwhelmed.
What emotions belong in your story? Don’t try to remove your personal emotions. If you do, your story will lack warmth and compassion.
How will you convey your emotions? Examining this book may give you ideas of how to write of your own feelings.
Auchard uses writing partly for healing, partly to make sense of events, and partly to affirm the importance of life experiences. What will writing your memoir mean to you?
