Episode 102: Writer’s Lessons with Melanie McGauran

Posted on by Victoria

Wynne and I love talking to writers of all sorts and honestly, every time we do so, we learn so much. I guess that’s our ambition – to share nuggets of inspiration and motivation from those who share a love of creating and are infinitely passionate about it. All of which describes the talented Melanie McGauran.

This is the third time Wynne and I have chatted with Melanie. We’ve relished our time with her talking about the importance of friendships and gratitude for good health. We’ve also loved talking with Melanie about the wonder and magic of our dream states and the potency of our subconscious to guide and inform our waking hours. (See Episode 74 and 94 links below.)

This time? We get to sit down with Melanie to delve exclusively into her recent reflective post about her past. It’s beautiful and we talk about why – unpacking her beautiful essay – in this episode. Melanie is a gifted writer, capturing a moment that was both revelatory and painful for her in 1978.

As we talked, Melanie told us about her memoir journey and the insight she received from a well-regarded teacher. In every conversation we’ve had with Melanie, she demonstrates her capacity for curiosity and lifelong learning. And this time? You’ll also giggle with us as Melanie shares a book that gave practical, hard-won advice that went straight to her writer’s heart. I don’t want to give away too much…you’ll need to tune in to learn more.

So much goodness in one episode. Whether you’re an established writer in the depths of a project or you’re considering leaping in, Melanie’s advice will motivate.

Vicki and Wynne 😊

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to it from your computer on Anchor: Episode 102: Writer’s Lessons with Melanie McGauran

Episode 102 transcript

AND subscribe to our YouTube channel to see a video clip of each story: @SharingtheHeartoftheMatter.

Links for this Episode:

Growing Up Fast in 1978

Melanie’s blog: https://leavingthedooropen.com/

Steven Pressfield – writing that inspired Melanie: https://stevenpressfield.com/books/

Other Episodes with Melanie:

From the hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/

Wynne’s book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith; Blog: https://wynneleon.com/

30 thoughts on “Episode 102: Writer’s Lessons with Melanie McGauran”

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  5. Thank you for this opportunity, Vicki. It was an amazing chance to speak with you and Wynne and share a little bit of my life and things I’ve learned. I truly appreciate it and your wonderful podcast. I feel very fortunate. ❤️

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  8. Vicki, this was such an emotional interview. You and Wynne did an amazing job about the opportunity for creativity and writing. You simply never know where that inspiration will come from. 🙏🏼 Thank you for keeping us motivated to take steps we probably would have never taken. Much love my friend. 😘💖🦋

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    1. Oh my goodness, Kym! Apologies! There IS something wonky going on with WP comments. Your lovely words got held up and I have no idea why…nothing was in the SPAM folder yesterday, but this appeared today…but your comment is from 4 days ago? Oof. But…the important part…thank you, thank you for your kind words. Much appreciated from all of us! 🥰💕🥰

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      1. Oh my sweet Vicki, no problem at all my friend. Yep, so many folks are tinkering with our online presence, so no worries. I get it because it happens to me more than I care to. UGH!!! 😝 But you’re so very welcome and it is my pleasure as always my dear! Hugs and smooches to you! 🤗🙏🏼😘💐😊

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  10. I was moved by Melanie’s story of when she was college and in a huge shift in her life. And then how she shared the advice from Steven Pressfield’s book. Fantastic stuff! It’s a great idea to re-read your story with the reader’s perspective in mind. 🌞🙏

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  11. The WordPress gremlins are at it again. I keep getting this “comment could not be posted” message. Then, after retyping the whole damn thing again, it always goes through. What’s up with that?

    I should say that I’m on the tail end of getting over the flu. I hadn’t been out of bed much for a couple of days. When I looked at my notifications yesterday, it was rather daunting. There were so many that I went into full-blown delete mode. I starred this one because I knew it would be a great conversation. I feel better today and am so glad I made the time to listen.

    Random thoughts:

    1. I agree with Marin’s advice about narrowing Melanie’s memoir down. I’m hardly a writing expert, but I have read memoirs that essentially tell everything in a person’s life. It gets too cumbersome. I like the idea of two or three separate projects instead.
    2. The death of a loved one, particularly at a time when a young adult is trying to navigate their own path, has to be one of the hardest things anyone can face. The added challenge of taking on unexpected family responsibilities speaks to Melanie’s grit and determination. She should feel great pride in coming out the other side and achieving her goals.
    3. Melanie’s voice is what first attracted me to her blog. Not every writer has her ability to write honestly while being unafraid to make herself vulnerable. It’s those qualities that help us connect as readers and writers.

    I feel like I know Melanie well enough to know she will put in the necessary time and energy it takes to get to the finish line with a quality project. Whenever it happens, I will be a customer.

    Take 2 WordPress

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    1. Oh my. First – I’m so sorry you’ve been ill, Pete. Second – Thank you for taking the time to tune into this beautiful conversation with Melanie. Your observations are lovely — and true! Thank you for persevering with your comment despite the WP gremlins getting in the way! 🥰🥰🥰

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