Part 2 in a 3 part series for Penguin Blog

In my previous post I explained why I chose to write my memoir from a child’s perspective. Today, I’d like to discuss why I decided this voice would work best if I told my story in the present tense.

The convention in storytelling, of course, is to use the past tense. But in the last few years the present tense has come into vogue for both memoirs and novels, especially those that can be described as literary.

Let me confess something right of the bat. Part of the reason why I chose the present tense was because of its popularity among what we might call the literati of my generation. My secret hope was that using the present tense would therefore increase the likelihood that my fantasy would come to pass, namely that Dave Eggers and/or Jonathan Safran Foer would read my memoir and be impressed with how incredibly hip and post-modern I am, and perhaps we’d all get together to sip lattes and chuckle at New Yorker cartoons in a swanky coffee shop…[read the rest on Penguin Blog]

Part 1 in a 3 part series for Penguin Blog

I’ve got some good news and some bad news for storytellers.

I’ll start with the good news: Technology has lowered the barriers to entry.

Let’s take the would-be novelist as an example. Not long ago, the only outlet for her work was to find a home for her manuscript at a mainstream publishing house in New York City.

And then technology happened…

[read the full post on Penguin Blog]

Congrats to our three winners! They will each receive a copy of my new book, Just Don’t Fall!

Funniest

Kristie Rumler-Cromer
To use “LOL” and “Haha” less in emails and posts. Even I’m sick of me using them, haha….CRAP!

Most creative

Meghan VanDamme
My resolution is to pass my Firefighter fitness class. i can see it now i will having nightmare about the workouts we did in class and ill wake my self up to me screaming ‘No jenn I dont want to run the mile for the 5th time in 50 mins’

Most inspiring

Heather Ann Habekott
To find out what makes me happy.

Thanks to everyone who entered in the 1mt1mt photo contest! I was especially impressed by the captions some of you wrote with your photos. (View them here).

Congrats to the winners, who will all be receiving an advance copy of my new book!

Here are some of my personal favorites from the contest:

Guess how many words are contained between the covers of my new book, Just Don’t Fall. (Hint: The page count is on Amazon).

If you guess closest, you’ll get a free copy of the book in the mail next week–long before it hits stores on January 25th. Cool.

Rules: One entry per person. Enter by submitting a comment below this post.

Deadline: Wednesday, December 30th at 12 noon, EST

Tip: Do not select “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.” Otherwise you’ll get an email whenever anyone enters the contest.

In each city I’ll do a brief speech and Q&A. Then I’ll be available to sign books.

I look forward to meeting you! Read More

I’m so incredibly thrilled to announce that I’ve received another endorsement for my book Just Don’t Fall (coming January 21)!! My excitement here stems from the fact that this particular endorsement comes from bestselling memoirist Kelly Corrigan.

Kelly, if you aren’t familiar with her, is one of the greatest human beings on the planet. Her first memoir, The Middle Place, is nothing short of spectacularly beautiful. She’s also a fellow cancer survivor…and a leader in the cancer community.

So to have her praise for the book is just a personal honor beyond what I can readily express in the words of this blog.

“What a voice!  I loved this book, every page.”

Kelly Corrigan, NYT best-selling author of The Middle Place and Lift

Here are the other endorsements I’ve been honored to receive: Read More