I previously wrote in the form of freelance travel essays for newspapers and magazines, has been brewing between the pages of my journals for the last fifteen years. When I decided last January to write a memoir about my spiritual journey covering that same period, I knew I needed help not only in baring my soul and reliving some difficult moments, but also in taking my writing skills from their 1500-word essay comfort level to a 75,000-word manuscript. The way I think of it, Grace stepped in and offered warm-hearted writing coach/therapist, Marni, to my door. From the very first moment I met and sat with her, I felt that I could trust her both emotionally and professionally. With her, I felt safe being vulnerable and honest in writing my story—necessary elements for good memoir—and challenged to become a better writer—to tell my story in a way that would engage and interest my readers. Without ever putting too much of herself in the process, she showed me how to craft each scene as well as my overall story. She taught me the importance of thinking about memoir structure and necessary plot spots, how to experiment with different grabbers and how to allow some of the story to be revealed out of chronological order. I most appreciated that she never backed down. If Marni thought I could further improve a section or the overall structure, or if she sensed I was holding back on the emotional impact of a scene, she gently but firmly encouraged me to try again until my finished product delivered the impact and reflected the story I wanted to tell. Marni has been invaluable to me and I am filled with gratitude at my good fortune in meeting and working with her. — Mariah McKenzie, author of More . . . Journey to Mystical Union through the Sacred and the Profane.
