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Begin Writing: Dear Me

Greet Your “I”

In this first lesson, you’ll write a letter to yourself. You’ll also get familiar with the sequence of activities. Be sure to do all four steps in order.


Why Personal Storytelling Matters

“I would love to sometimes not write about things. But it honestly helps me heal. It helps me figure out where I am, where I want to be, where I want to go.”

— Ada Limón[1]


 

DEAR ME
At a Glance

Introduction – read first

Lesson Steps — do them in order

  1. Dream First: Mind Wander
  2. Write Fast: Letter to Yourself
  3. Vision Share: Picture It
  4. Think Again: Your Focus?

Stretch Activities

Main Tools

  • Self-awareness
  • An Eye for Details

Main Takeaways

  1. Explore who you are and how you view the world.
  2. Develop a writing practice with rituals and routines.
  3. Discover your writing flow for generating new work.
  4. Document your journey as a writer.

Self-Evaluation – finish here


  1. From a podcast interview with Ezra Klein: "A Conversation with Ada Limón, in Six Poems" New York Times, May 24, 2022. Limón, a poet, is referring to "Foaling Season" from her book The Hurting Kind (Milkweed, 2022).

License

Lessons for Life: Finding Your First-Person Voice Copyright © 2023 by Martha Nichols. All Rights Reserved.